Spy Games
by Jenn1987
Summary: Powerful and successful, Isabella Swan held the world in the palm of her hand. Unfortunately for her, so did Edward Cullen. Written for the "Forbidden Affairs" contest and placed third. OOC, AH/AU, E/B, Rated M for Language and Lemons.
1. Behind Enemy Lines

**This story started as a one shot that I wrote for the "Forbidden Affairs Contest." I placed third, so I decided to continue it. Please leave reviews, even if they're bad. I love em! Thanks so much for reading! Many special thanks to PTB, who has been my saving grace with this chapter. I hope you enjoy it.  
**

Chapter 1

"Behind Enemy Lines"

It was two a.m. on Monday, and I lay alone in my bed, frustrated and restless. The newest edition of _Money Magazine _rested on my bedside table. I almost had the glossy image of the front page memorized.

_Cullen Inc. names its new CEO. Can he fill the shoes left by his father?_

Below these words was a picture of Edward Cullen holding a globe in his hands. I had come to know him as the beautiful face of the devil because his very existence threatened my own. Not only was he my newest competition, but his first day as acting CEO was tomorrow. Cullen Inc. was the only advanced technologies company in the world predicted to outsell Dyco Tech in ten years, and luck would have it that the headquarters of that company was right across the street from mine.

The worst part wasn't the fact that this man was destined to have my job one day; he was, without a doubt, the most gorgeous man alive. In fact, the only reason I was awake at the moment was because every time I tried to sleep, I envisioned doing horrible, horrible things to said devil -- things that were probably illegal in some states.

I hated him -- everything about him -- perhaps my fantasies most of all.

The first time I saw him was at the convention in Baltimore three years ago. He was eyeing me from across the room and when his brilliant green gaze met mine, he simply smiled and looked elsewhere. That was it. I never saw him again, except on the cover of any given financial magazine. He was always the unattainable, the enemy's son, the heir to the CEO throne threatening my own.

_Such a beautiful foe._

I sighed at the workday ahead. Just how was I to get anything done with this distraction no more than fifty feet away from me? Six a.m. came too soon.

Monday mornings were typically the most boring part of my week. As if waking this early wasn't hard enough, there were insufferable board meetings to attend and excruciating sales reports to look over. My days were scheduled from the time I got to work until the time I left. It was this dedication that had gotten me where I was in the first place.

As the first female CEO of Dyco Tech, I had huge shoes to fill. I started here six years ago and had steadily worked my way to the top since then. Jason Jenks, the previous CEO and owner, had chosen me over his own grandson to take his place, indicating my headstrong work ethic and demanding presence as essential to the position, especially if we were to continue competing with Cullen Inc.

In the technology industry, there were only two corporations that led the way in developing and manufacturing advanced robotics: Dyco Tech and Cullen Inc. If one bought any type of electronic device from any major manufacturer in the last six years, chances were it contained parts that were thought up, designed, and brought to life by one of our two companies. Twenty years ago, it was just Dyco Tech. Cullen Inc. had sprung up rather quickly in the last decade, and the company's net worth was getting close to matching Dyco. It was bound to be a tough couple of months if I was to keep the lead over them.

"Good morning, Bella," Alice, my loyal assistant, greeted me as she made her way through my office door with two cups of coffee. She danced over to my desk, set the cappuccino down, and then slammed the latest edition of_ Money Magazine _on top of my keyboard. "Did you see this yet?"

"Sadly, yes. I have a subscription," I said dryly. I picked up the magazine and leaned back in my chair, crossing my stilettos on my desk in front of me. Alice shifted her weight as she crossed her arms in frustration.

"Why didn't you get a feature in _Money Magazine _when you were the first female CEO of the top selling advanced technology agency in the world?" Alice pouted. "The best you got was _Maxim_."

"Because my daddy doesn't tie my shoes in the morning," I hissed acerbically, flipping through the thin pages. I pursed my lips and shook my head in disgust. "God, he's gorgeous," I sighed as I threw the magazine back onto my desk. I rolled my eyes and grabbed my binoculars from my top drawer, turning my chair slightly to the wall of windows behind me and adjusting my attention to the office directly across the street. It seemed that the new leader of the world, as it were, was late for work today.

_Some leader._

Carlisle was at work every day at seven on the dot. I'd attempted to beat him a few times when I first took over the company, only to realize that his city residence was two blocks away. Carlisle ate, slept, and breathed Cullen Inc. Would Edward be the same? It seemed not.

I'd just begun to feel smug in my punctuality when the bastard walked through his office door. He was dressed in a gray suit which was elegantly tailored to fit him. My stomach fluttered and my jaw dropped. "Alice! Come here!" I waved her closer to me, refusing to take my eyes off this vision. Alice practically sprinted to the window and snatched the binoculars from my face.

"Ehh . . . He's alright, I suppose. Definitely good looking. I can see the attraction. But stunning? I wouldn't go that far."

"Who said he was stunning?" I asked, pulling my legs off my desk and swung around to face her.

"You did, just last week." She handed me the binoculars and turned to leave my office.

"I hate him," I grunted.

"Have fun, Harriet!" she called before shutting the door behind her. Keeping my eyes locked on Edward, I gave her the finger.

Harriet the Spy had become my nickname since Carlisle switched his office from the other side of the building to directly across from mine. Not that Carlisle was particularly interesting to watch; I just felt like I was eyeing up enemy territory. I would never intrude on his privacy or watch him when it was inappropriate, but seeing what he was up to was somehow empowering. Now, it appeared, I would have the luxury of spying on his beautiful son every day for the rest of my employment.

Edward walked over to his desk, threw down his jacket, and began working on his computer. A striking young blond walked in a few moments later with his coffee and a bundle of papers for him to review. He took the stack and waved her away, hardly giving her a second glance. She was beautiful, with shiny golden hair and legs that went on for miles. He'd barely looked at her. I turned to my phone and dialed Alice's extension.

"Yes, love?" she answered.

"I think he's gay," I said over the speaker.

"Why?"

"He just shooed the blond."

"The one with the nice rack?"

"That's the one."

"Ahh . . . Explains a lot," Alice said with a small giggle. "Maybe he's not a gentleman," she suggested, referring to my favorite Marilyn Monroe movie of all time.

"What time is that first board meeting?" I interjected, immediately changing the topic. I certainly did not want to begin thinking about which kind of women he may or may not prefer. Even if he did prefer brunettes, it was wrong, wrong, wrong to sleep with the competition. No matter how deliciously tempting it may be to have him throw me across that over-sized desk and --

_Enemy, Bella. Off limits -- completely. You're supposed to hate him, you do hate him -- everything about him.  
_

"Five minutes," Alice responded, breaking me out of my daydream.

"I'm coming." I hit the end button on my phone and turned to the window with my binoculars once more. He was standing now, facing me with a spying device of his own; a long telescope, pointed directly into my office. As soon as I realized he was returning the favor, I jumped with surprise and quickly turned back to my desk. I shuffled some papers around, pretending to be busy to hide my embarrassment. It was time to go.

I grabbed what I needed for the board meeting and stood. Adjusting my dress, I sneaked one more peek behind me to see if he was still watching. Of course he was, only he had begun to laugh at my frustration. My eyes widened as I stormed out of my office, slamming the door behind me.

Like I said, I hated him.

The entire meeting was a blur. I heard something about sales figures and adjusting our work flow to match the anticipated demand, but that was about all I remember. My body may have been in that conference room with my subordinates, but my head was in that devil's office. I couldn't seem to stop thinking about the way the fabric of his expensive, designer suit fell over his shoulders and arms, the way that he carried that just-got-out-of-bed look on top of his head, or the way he pretended not to care about any of it, as if he accidentally fell into those clothes and woke up looking that good this morning. His green eyes staring back at me from that damned magazine were etched into my brain like a bad accident: something you didn't want to see, but, for some reason, couldn't stop looking at. And then that smile, when he laughed. It haunted me -- damn near chilling my bones.

I managed to get through my presentations effectively, and when I announced the end of objectives covered, I couldn't get out of that room fast enough. Alice escorted me back to our office as she jabbered on about what she and her fiancée, Jasper, had done this weekend. Something about camping and tire swinging into a lake. I tuned most of it out. Again, my thoughts trailed to the embarrassment of being caught spying by Mr. Cullen. Once at my office, I walked in and took my spot at my desk. I resisted the urge to grab the binoculars and opted to pretend to type on my computer, just in case he was watching.

"What are you doing?" Alice smirked as she took a seat across from me.

"Pretending to work," I explained. "Why? Is he looking?"

She looked behind me and shook her head. "No. He's typing," she whispered. I whipped the chair around and snatched my spying tool from my desk. "Was he watching you earlier?" Alice joked with the slightest hint of a suggestive tone in her voice as she stood and sauntered to the window.

"He has a telescope," I answered, not even bothering to acknowledge her suggestion. "And yes, before you even go there, it was a _big_ telescope."

She started laughing as if I'd taken the words right from her mouth. "You know me too well."

"Well, you're a sweetheart, but you're also a pervert."

She nudged me on my shoulder and snatched the binoculars from my face again. "Don't let this become your whole day, Bella. You do have presentations to write," Alice reminded me before setting the binoculars onto my desk and turning towards the door. "Besides, he's just a pipe dream, Bella. Anything you two could have would only end in disappointment."

I stuck my tongue out at her as she shot me a wink and walked out of my office. Childish, yes; fitting, much more so. I grabbed my spy gear and returned my attention to Cullen Inc. headquarters. Why in the world they had decided to purchase the tower right next to mine was beyond me, but they were there, nonetheless, and had been for a decade.

Edward was hunched over his keyboard, typing quickly, as if he only had a few minutes to get something done. The blond walked in again, and he barely moved. She got two feet into the room before he said something to her, and she turned on her heels, retreating as quickly as she'd walked in. He looked extremely dedicated to whatever he was doing, and it was absolutely uninteresting to the average observer.

Alice was right. I couldn't sit here all day staring at this stranger. If I got caught, I was in deep trouble. He was the enemy, the competition, the only company in the world that threatened to take my job from me. There was no way I'd let a smug asshole like Edward Cullen sit at my desk one day, tell my assistant what to do, and drink my mocha latte cappuccino vanilla blend every morning. If I didn't get back to work, that's exactly what would happen.

The day droned on. Meeting after meeting, boardroom after boardroom. Finally, the time came for my lunch meeting with Mr. Vanderhausen, a potential buyer. He had been expecting nothing more than a pretty face, but when I opened my mouth and started talking sales figures and projected monthly outcomes, he was completely smitten. He'd agreed to ten thousand units before I even mentioned the cost. Part of me wanted to believe that his trust in my product stemmed from the quality Jenks had demanded, but I knew I really was the best woman for the job, and I had the brains to prove it.

The thrill of landing a multi-million dollar deal racing through my body, I decided to return to my office and celebrate with Alice. She cracked open the champagne while I held my glass up for a toast. She snapped her fingers as if she'd forgotten something. "Napkins," she hissed as she ran out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

I brought my glass to my lips and instinctively spilled champagne down the front of my sheer white blouse.

_KLUTZ!_

"Damn it!" I shouted as I set my glass down and started to undo the buttons. I took my shirt off and walked to one of my counters, laying the blouse out to air dry. Suddenly, I felt eyes on me.

I slowly turned my head and looked over my shoulder, catching a glimpse of Edward Cullen standing at his window, staring my direction.

I froze.

_Oh, thank God I wore my sexy lacey bra today. If he was going to see me in next to nothing, I'm glad it was this._

We stood idly for what seemed like an eternity. There was this connection between us -- in this very short moment together. I felt a rush course through me, my heart rate picked up, my breathing became erratic, I was all over the place. Something in his eyes was comforting, adoring. I seemed drawn to it.

He didn't react harshly or seem upset that he had been caught. He simply smiled sweetly at me. I returned the gesture and, for some reason, felt no shred of embarrassment. In fact, I was almost turned on. He tilted his head toward me, as if to say goodbye, and then threw his jacket over his shoulder, retreating from his office entirely.

"What is it with this guy?" I whispered in disbelief, pulling my blouse back on and plopping heavily into my chair just as Alice reappeared in my office.

"Why? What happened?" she inquired as she rushed back over to the desk. "Ugh! You got it on your blouse, didn't you? I knew it! Here." She handed me the napkins and poured a glass for herself. "So, what'd he do?"

"He saw me half naked, trying to get the champagne off my blouse," I answered, obviously flustered.

Alice started laughing. "Did you wear a good bra today?" I shot her an angry look as she continued. "Why don't you call him and ask him if it's policy to admire the competition on company time?"

"Yeah, and then he'll ask us if it's policy to be drinking on company time. I thought these were supposed to be one-way windows anyway."

"They are on sunny days. Welcome to New York, where it rains three hundred days a year." She paused to finish her glass and placed it gently on my desk. "If you're not going to do anything about it, then just leave it alone. So you guys stare at each other. There's nothing wrong with spy games every now and then." With that, she shot me a wink and walked out of my office, apparently deciding she had actual work to do.

I was left alone with my stained blouse and devious thoughts. I slumped a little in my seat and swiveled back and forth, trying to force myself to do work. It was pointless. All I wanted to do was stare at him and feel his eyes on me like they had been a moment ago. It was an insane rush, kind of like a drug.

_Enemy, Bella._

I spent the rest of my day desperately trying to resist the urge to turn my chair around and see what he was up to. Why was I letting him get to me like this? He was just another stupid man I'd have to step over in order to succeed. I'd already stepped over hundreds, and this gorgeous creature would be no different. I promised myself that this infatuation had to end today. Tomorrow, when I came in, there would be no binoculars and certainly no spy games.

Alice had come in a few hours ago to let me know she was leaving, so I knew it was getting very late. It was probably close to nine or ten o'clock by now. I was positive that I was the only person left in the building except for our security guard downstairs. I pulled the pins out of my hair and ran my fingers through it, scratching the areas that felt the most tension during the day. I reclined in my chair and swiveled back and forth. I closed my eyes and pressed my knuckles against them, trying to relieve the tension. When I opened them again, I noticed that Edward's light was still on.

So, the spy games were supposed to end tomorrow, right? There was no reason why I couldn't just sneak a quick peek. I grabbed the binoculars and spun around in my chair. He wasn't there. He must have left the lights on by accident. _Damn!_

Just as I was about to throw my spy gear down in frustration, he reentered his office with a piece of paper in his hand.

"Yes! I knew you were still there," I whispered to myself. "A workaholic, huh? I can relate to that." He walked over to his desk and sat down, picking up the phone and dialing. "Ordering food? I wonder what the next leader of the world eats at nine o'clock at night."

Suddenly, my desk phone rang. I almost jumped five feet in the air from the noise. "Damn it, Alice! I gave you that freaking key for a reason," I muttered to myself before angrily picking up the phone. "Are you downstairs?" I yelled forcefully, assuming the identity of the caller without bothering to check the caller i.d.

"Umm . . . No, but I could be," the velvet voice on the other end responded. I swung my chair around to my desk and put my head in my hand.

_Great, Bella. Freak out on a client._ _They're probably calling you from Guam to complain that their such and such doesn't work. This was definitely not Alice  
_  
"Oh, I'm so sorry, sir. I assumed you were someone else. This is Isabella Swan; how can I help you?" I retracted as innocently as possible, hoping that the client wouldn't just go ahead and send their order back because I'd been rude.

"I was wondering if you might stop spying on me. It's starting to make me rather uncomfortable," the soft voice answered. I stood up and whipped around so fast that I might have seriously hurt myself on any other occasion.

"M-Mr. Cullen?" I stammered, returning the binoculars to my eyes and peering around his office for him. He'd relaxed in his chair and propped his feet up on his desk, as if he wasn't talking to a person he could actually see right now.

"So you _have_ been spying on me?" his voice was shedding the strangest mix of flattery and arrogance as he uttered his next statement.

"And I suppose you've just been enjoying the skyline?" I spat acidly.

"You can't imagine what it looks like from this side of the street."

"Is there something that you want?"

"I want you to stop spying on me."

Before I could think through an appropriate answer, the question, "Why?" flew out of my mouth.

Such a stupid thing to say. _Why? Because it's creepy and it's against the law, moron!_ Surely, Edward would be on the phone with Jenks in the morning. Everything I've worked for would come crashing down around me because I couldn't stop being nosy.

"Well . . ." He seemed shocked by my response and unsure of what to say next. "Why not?"

"How did you get this number? It's unlisted," I hissed.

"I know a guy who knows a guy." He paused to laugh. I sighed in frustration as he continued. "But you didn't answer my question. Why do you stare at me, Isabella Swan? Do you have some particular interest in me?"

_An abnormal interest is more appropriate._ "I should think not. Do you have some particular interest in me?"

With that he stood up and turned, leaning against the window frame. "What would you do if I told you I did?"

_Check mate, Cullen._

I felt the blood rush to my cheeks and the movement of my mouth stop. I tried to form words, only to find that there were no words to be formed. He had me. I could tell him I thought he was gorgeous and I found him unnaturally intriguing. Or I could hang up the phone and leave. Either way, I could not lie to him because he already knew the truth. Why would I want to spy on him, if not for those reasons?

"Hello? Is anyone there?" the sweet voice came again.

I hung up the phone and leaned against my desk for support. I gasped and looked over my shoulder at the villain who'd stolen my speech.

Suddenly, my phone rang again. I picked up the receiver without a second thought. "What do you want?" I hissed.

"Answer my question."

"You were spying on me when I was half naked, and now you're demanding answers from me? Have some decency, Cullen."

"Decency? Perhaps you should remember that the next time you prance about your office in your underwear," he taunted, attempting to see exactly how upset I was.

"Is there a point to this conversation?" I was growing tired of his games. I rubbed my hands on my forehead in frustration.

"I called back to apologize."

"For what?" I hissed.

"For spying on you . . . and for being so demanding."

"And I suppose you want me to do the same?"

"If you want." I could hear a hint of playfulness in his tone.

"Suppose I don't?" I answered quickly, pausing to catch my breath. "Want to, that is."

"Well --"

"You were eyeing me up this afternoon," I interrupted. "Weren't you?"

He paused and then answered, "I suppose you could say that," candidly.

"Did you like what you saw?" I teased. I should have hung up by now. I knew this was wrong, but it was so, so fun. It would never amount to anything of course, I was just batting him around.

"For the most part."

"Good to know. Will there be anything else?" I smirked, refusing to turn around to see if he was even looking.

"Allow me to make it up to you."

_HAH!_

"And how would you do that?" I joked, swinging my legs around and eyeing him in his office. He was standing at the window, leaning against it with his right arm, his legs crossed casually. His tie was loosened and the sleeves of his gray button-down shirt were rolled to the elbows. My heart almost skipped a beat at the mere sight of him. "Are you going to take me out to dinner? Wine and dine me? Add me to your little black book?"

"If that's what you want," he answered delicately. "What _do_ you want, Ms. Swan?"

I sighed. _All of you,_ the evil Bella thought. "Strip," I demanded. Again, too much fun.

"Excuse me?" Shock crossed his face.

"Yep. You owe me, buddy. You saw my goods, let me see yours," I replied. There was no way he would get out of this one.

A sheepish smile came to his face as he sat the receiver down on his desk and slowly unbuttoned his shirt. My eyes focused on the movement of his fingers as he slipped each button through it's hole.

One by one, he went slowly, teasing me with the snail-like pace. He pulled his shirt out of his pants and slid it down his arms, revealing a white undershirt beneath. He pulled that over his head and stood there like an angel fallen from the heavens.

_What a sight! _

Reaching back, he brought the receiver to his ear once again. "Am I forgiven?"

I really couldn't resist. "All the way, punk."

"That's more than I took from you," he reasoned.

"Consider it interest."

"You first."

My mouth dropped. There were no words. He had me again. For the second time tonight, this man had stolen my tongue. Where was the bite most men felt from me? Where was _that_ Bella? Normally, I could walk all over men like him, beating them down with my quick wit and stubborn attitude. With him, I felt like I couldn't even move.

I turned to my desk once more and considered his offer. Would I do this? He was asking me to, so it wasn't like he was going to go call Jenks. There were no cameras in here, practically no one left in the building, no one to know. This started as a joke and had now backfired. I hung the receiver up and turned to look at him. He seemed confused at first but quickly caught on when I undid the buttons on my blouse and unzipped the back of my skirt.

I stood and allowed the skirt to fall to my ankles and the shirt to fall from my shoulders, revealing my matching lace bra and underwear. I primped my hands through my hair and let my dark curls fall around my shoulders. Stepping around my chair, I walked to the window and pressed my arms up against the edges, spreading my legs shoulders-width apart. I smiled at him and watched as he unbuckled his belt and tossed it behind him. He undid his pants and slid them to his ankles, stepping out of them and moving closer to the window. He mirrored my pose and smiled at me.

Teasing him, I turned and took a few steps in, reaching behind me and teasing at my bra strap. I looked over my shoulder to see if he would egg me on, and he did, nodding his head and slid his thumbs under the waistband of his boxers.

This was intense and the weight of the situation threatened to cut me off at the knees. His eyes assaulted my body in a mesmerizing way. They seemed to ignite something inside of me, some wild beast that had been frozen for eons.

A loud vibrating noise suddenly came from my purse, causing me to jump and glance at my desk. By the time I looked back to his office, he was redressing and getting ready to leave.

_Why does he keep doing that to me?_

The vibrating noise came again, so I rushed to my purse and grabbed my Blackberry, shoving it to my ear in dismay.

"Dammit, Alice. What?" I shrieked, sliding my skirt back onto my body.

"Whatcha doin'?" she asked as she crunched on a chip.

"What do you think I'm doing?" I answered as I grabbed my blouse and yanked it over my arms.

"Are you still at work?"

"Yeah, I'm just finishing that . . . Umm . . ." I glanced at my desk for a quick answer. "Vanderhausen . . . deal . . ." I added.

"What's the Pervy Sexmiester doing?"

"I don't know, Alice!" I sighed.

"Is he still at work?"

"Maybe."

"Are you staring at him again?"

"You could say that," I admitted reluctantly. She gasped, but I continued before she could. "Is there something you need?"

"No, just wanted to let you know that you're missing a great episode of _Lost_, and guess what? Sawyer and _Juliet_ are screwing now. I mean, WOW! I totally saw that coming, but still, WOW!"

"What?" I was confused at first, but was instantly brought back to reality by the name Sawyer. Well, I couldn't fault the girl for interrupting. I'm sure she was sitting on her sofa with Jasper, waiting for my call. Once the show ended and I still hadn't contacted her, she decided to try me. On any other Monday night, when I wasn't at my office stripping for my competition, I would be sitting on my giant couch with a bowl of popcorn and my Blackberry glued to my head. Alice and I enjoyed rehashing the latest drama on and off the mysterious island immediately after the latest episodes. "Oh, I'm sorry, Alice. Of course. I, uh . . . I didn't see the episode yet. So, don't tell me," I explained as I put my blouse around my shoulders, rebuttoned it, and grabbed my jacket.

"Why did you think I was calling?"

"I . . . Uh . . . Something really weird just happened to me."

"Are you alright? You sound all shaky."

"Go to sleep, Alice. I'll talk to you in the morning."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Good night."

"Bells, I don't think --"

I pressed the end button on the phone and turned off the lights, immediately racing for the elevator. I hit the down button a thousand times, and finally the doors opened, allowing me my escape. On the ninety second ride down, my mind ran over what had just happened. I'd stripped for my competition, and he'd stripped for me. Then, when I was about to take it a step further, he ran away. I was thoroughly embarrassed. I'd just shown Edward Cullen my underwear, and he took off like a bat out of hell. Who was I kidding trying to be sexy like that? I was about as sexy as a trailer park stripper. Why would I do that? I beat my palm against my head in disgust. _Stupid, stupid, stupid!!_

When the doors opened on the lower level, I walked to the lobby and waved goodnight to Ollie, the night time security guard. Once I had circled through the revolving glass doors, I reached for my keys in my purse and began walking to the parking garage. It was storming outside. I hadn't noticed it upstairs, so perhaps it had just started. Of course, I wasn't paying attention to much besides my sexy competition, so it's possible that I simply missed it.

I turned the radio all the way up in attempts to drown out my thoughts of Edward Cullen, but every effort was in vain. The more I tried not to think of his eyes assaulting my body, the more I wished they still were. I felt objectified and, or some reason, I loved it. It was the first time in my life I'd ever felt desired, and it had been a long time since I'd felt anything that intense.

He had wanted me to strip, as if the short view he'd gotten earlier wasn't enough for him.

_What if he wanted me as much as I wanted him?_

As soon as the thought crossed my mind, I immediately disregarded it. That was foolish. A man like that could have any woman he wanted. I'm sure he'd prefer the stupid model type over . . . well . . . someone like me. Professional, dedicated . . . intelligent.

Once I'd gotten to my complex, I parked the car in my usual spot and rushed into the building, not wanting to get wet. I walked to the elevator and pushed the up button, patiently waiting for the doors to open. When they finally did, I walked in and pressed the button for my floor.

"Hold the elevator!" a voice shouted from the lobby. I immediately hit the button to hold the doors open and depressed it until the person caught up. Stunned, I realized I was staring at the six-foot bundle of temptation himself. The same look of shock crossed his face before he quickly regained his compsure, shooting me a simple smile while walking in.

"Ms. Swan." His voice dripping of pure silk.

"Mr. Cullen." I pursed my lips and adjusted my gaze to the floor. I couldn't help but glance up when his hand reached in front of me to press the button for his floor . . . which happened to be two levels above mine. Shocked, I turned to meet his gaze. "When did you move here?"

"Well, I leased the space about a month ago, before the promotion. But I had been renovating it. Just moved in two weeks ago."

"Funny, I haven't seen you."

"Perhaps we worked opposite shifts," he suggested, crossing his arms behind his back. His tousled bronze hair looked even more tempting in person, and the way his pants hung from his waist made me wish I had gotten those boxers off earlier tonight.

_Damn Alice!_

Suddenly, there was a loud jolt. The elevator stopped, and everything went black momentarily before the emergency lights came on, shrouding us in thick crimson tones.

"Oh, no! I think the electricity has gone out," I stated, trying to press the emergency button on the panel. He picked up the emergency phone to call for help, but apparently heard no dial tone because he placed back on the wall and frowned.

"Well, I suppose we're stuck for the time being," he whispered, taking a step in my direction.

I countered him and took a step back. "I suppose we are."

"You know, it's not nice teasing people like that." Edward bowed his head and looked up at me, taking yet another stride forward. That look I saw in his eyes earlier tonight had returned. Those irises were assualting me again.

I suddenly found myself pressed against the elevator wall. "Who said that playing spy games was supposed to be nice?" I whimpered, his beautiful face now inches from mine.

"Who said we were playing games?" With that, he grabbed the back of my head and brought his lips to mine.

I was caught off guard, I didn't know what to do. Should I stop it? No, certainly I can't do that. He tasted so damn good, like peppermints and pure man. But he was my enemy, I should stop this, I needed to stop this. But, for some reason, my hands couldn't resist the urge to climb up the side of his body and wrap themselves in his gorgeous hair. So soft, so thick.

His tongue tantalized my lips, his hands having the same idea as mine. He pressed my head to his with a certain urgency, a radiating need. Our bodies rubbing against each other created an electric pulse that shocked me to the core. I had never, in my entire twenty eight years of existence, felt anything like this. It was extraordinary.

But I needed to think.

I pulled his head away from mine and looked into his emerald forest eyes. I took a deep breath and really considered what the fuck was going on. Was I really in an elevator . . . making out with Edward Cullen?

I'm supposed to hate him, remember?

Then, why is every bone in my body screaming for this?

"Is everything alright?" he whispered.

When I didn't answer, he pressed his body tighter against mine and ghosted his fingers down my sides to my hips and over the back of my legs. He pulled and lifted me up, allowing me to wrap my legs around his waist. I felt his cock twitch against me, begging to be released from the confines of his dress pants.

"We could get fired for this," I whimpered. "It's wrong in so many ways."

His pelvis rubbed harder into mine, grinding against my clit. My grip on his hair tightened momentarily before he pulled his head away and brought those velvet lips next to my ear. "Tell me you weren't spying on me all day because you wanted me. Say you didn't like the way stripping for me felt. Tell me that, and it ends here."

Edward pulled back to see the look on my face when I responded. I tried my best to keep my composure, considering I was more than turned on right now. How could I resist him? After what those lips could do to mine, how could I not be curious as to what they could do the rest of my body? A part of me knew this was wrong and some part wondered if it was a scam, but the much bigger part screamed to feel those eyes on my flesh once more. I took a few deep breaths before wrapping my fingers in his hair and pulling his face to mine.

_Fire me._ It was worth it.

His fingers reached under my skirt and twisted around the lace holding my underwear together. He slowly dragged them down my legs, over my ankles, and off of my body completely.

I could feel his erection twitch between us, growing harder and fuller with each passing second, demanding my attention. I slinked off the rail and eased my body down to the floor, looking up and smiling at him while I unzipped his pants and freed the tension building there. I teased him by licking the head, slowly drawing him into my mouth. I sucked and I relaxed my throat, allowing his entirety to be engulfed by me.

He muttered something that sounded like, "Not fucking fair," and pressed his fist against the elevator wall, followed by his head. He looked down at me, those eyes full of yearning and feral desire, and I knew then that this was not a scam. He was into me -- and he knew it was wrong. We were completely on the same page. Maybe some part of him hated me as well -- it was only natural. The fact that there should never -- would never -- be a union between us was absolutely not fucking fair, especially because it seemed that we had amazing chemistry.

I stood, and when I regained my balance, he pushed me against the elevator wall again, kneeling down to bring my leg over his shoulder. He dove in with a passion, determined to outdo me yet seeming eager to return the favor. His tongue traced circles around my clit as his fingers found their way inside of me, locating my G-spot with pinpoint accuracy. It was as if he knew my body already, knew exactly which buttons to push and which to push at the same time. I locked my fists in his hair and rocked my hips against his face. His five o'clock shadow brushed against my thighs, mixing just the right amount of pain with pleasure. I was euphoric, almost certain that this was a dream.

Like I said, amazing fucking chemistry. A moan echoed from the bottom of my throat and my heart was damn near beating right out of my chest.

Suddenly, the lights flickered back on, and the elevator started moving again. Our floors were still lit, indicating we were headed to our original destinations. Edward immediately froze and looked up to me in complete shock. It was like our personalities had some how disappeared in the dark, but now that the lights were back on, who we were had returned. I was the CEO of Dyco Tech again, and he was the CEO of Cullen Inc and we were enemies. The crimson emergency lights had somehow cast a veil of amnesia upon us, and now that we could really see each other, a somber and shocking glow fell upon our newfound tryst. He stood and took a few steps back, running his hands through his hair nevously. I readjusted my dress and awkwardly picked up my panties from the floor.

"My loft is the first stop," I playfully whispered.

Edward's eyes widened as those lips twisted into a sheepish grin. A forced chuckle bellowed from his throat. "You're right. We could get fired for this." He rezipped his pants and picked up his briefcase. "I suppose it was a mistake," he stammered as the doors opened. "I'm sorry."

Blood rushed to my cheeks, fury swelled at the back of my throat, and the only thing I wanted to do at that point was smack him.

So I did. I slapped him as hard as I could.

"_You_ called _me_, asshole!" I shouted as I stormed out of the elevator. I rushed to my loft, tears welling in the corners of my eyes.

_Stupid! How could you have let that happen?_ Why _would you let that happen?  
_

"Ms. Swan," his voice came from behind me.

As much as I wanted to stop walking and slap him again, my feet propelled me forward, unwilling to allow another confrontation.

_What the hell was wrong with me?_

He'd taken advantage of me, but I'd allowed it to happen. I fumbled with my keys at the door, unlocking it in the nick of time and rushing into my loft, slamming the door behind me before he could see my embarrassment.

I leaned against the strong wood, collapsing to the floor and wrapping my hands in my hair.

_How could I have been so foolish?_

He knocked on the door a few times, calling my name from the other side. After a few minutes of silence, I guess he must have concluded that I wouldn't face him again tonight. I thought I heard him retreating down the hallway.

I couldn't believe I'd let that happen. A fantasy is one thing, but to actually act upon it?

I hated him. I was supposed to hate him. I needed to hate him, if only to keep myself from him. And as much as I knew all this, my body was screaming for me to open that damned door. But I wouldn't. I knew better.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Remember to review.  
**


	2. Sweet Vengeance

Chapter 2

**"Sweet Vengeance"**

After I showered tonight's encounter from my body and cleansed myself of that entire situation, I crawled into bed and tried to think of anything but Edward Cullen. I needed a distraction, even if it only lasted for a second. My efforts were pointless. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw him pushing me against that elevator wall. I felt his fingers inside of me and his cock in my mouth.

It was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. He played me like a fiddle, strumming my strings like he had been practicing me for years. Then, he had retracted almost as impulsively as he started kissing me in the first place. It left me reeling.

Around five thirty in the morning, I stopped trying to sleep and found myself browsing through _Money Magazine_ once again.

_What an ass!  
_  
I rolled the magazine and threw it across the room, where it hit my wall with a loud thud and fell to the floor. To make matters worse, I now knew he lived two floors above me. He was probably lying in his bed right now, sleeping as soundly as he'd ever slept. Beautiful people sleep easier when they've made someone else feel ugly.

Suddenly, there was a light knock at my door. Startled, I rose from my bed and grabbed my robe, wrapping it around my body in a desperate attempt to cover the fact that I wore a pair of old boxers and a tank top to bed. If it was Alice, it had better be good. I ran my fingers through my hair as I walked to the front door and looked through the peephole.

It was the last face I'd wanted to see, leaving me stunned in my tracks. It was the devil reincarnate.

_What was I supposed to do? _

I could turn back to my bed, wrap the covers over my head and forget that today ever happened. There was no reason for me to ever talk to him again, other than the fact that he lived in my building. But I could hide from those encounters, anticipate when he'd be coming through the lobby and push myself to be there before or after that time.

_That's ridiculous, Bella. You lived here first.__ If anyone should be hiding, it should be him._ _Quick. Think! Think! Think!_

The knocking came again and I knew I had to face this dead on. I couldn't run from it. My body had experienced something unforgettable and needless to say, he'd left his mark. There was nothing else I could do, so I wrapped the robe tighter around my waist and opened the door, preparing to assault him with my words. Instead, he broke through, pushing the door to the side and planting his lips on mine. His hands found their way to my hair, and I just about collapsed in his arms.

God, why did he have be so damned perfect? His smell consumed me, reeled me in, and his taste sent shivers down my spine in the most tantalizing way. As angry as I was earlier, I was merely putty in his hands now. His frenzy propelled us into my foyer, his hands finding their way to my shoulders and pulling at the soft fabric wrapped around me. My robe fell off my body, almost tripping me as I stumbled over it backwards. Through it all, his lips never left mine.

I was dazed. I couldn't believe this was happening . . . _again!_

My stomach filled with butterflies, my legs trembled under me, and my hands shook as I lifted them to the back of his head. He pushed me back and forced me to plop on my couch. Again, I faced the dilemma of stopping this or allowing it to continue. Ireally wanted to see where this was going -- but there was that whole enemy problem.

"Wait, wait. Shouldn't we talk about this?" I stuttered.

He stopped and knelt between my legs, eyeing me impatiently. "Talk," he demanded.

I struggled for words, grasping at anything that came to my mind. "Uh . . ." was the only sound my mouth was able to form. "What are you doing here?" I finally gained the ability to ask.

"I thought that was apparent."

"Yeah, but you can't just barge in here, demanding this from me. Especially after what you said in the elevator."

"I only meant that we shouldn't do this. Not that I didn't want to." He leaned in and kissed me passionately, probably hoping that would end the conversation. But I was still confused. I pushed him back and sat upright, shooting him a look that suggested his response simply wasn't enough. "I couldn't sleep," he continued after sighing. "Thinking about you. Leaving you like that. I'm a bastard. An impulsive prick. But . . . I think that you want me just as much as I want you.

_If he only knew the extent of that statement._

One final look sealed the deal. I somehow couldn't resist it any longer. I grabbed the back of his neck and crashed my lips to his. That delicious tongue darted out of his mouth, carousing my lips into a frenzy. My boxers and underwear were pulled out from under me. I trailed my hands to his pants, unbuttoned them and slid my hand under the fabric, gripping the base of that perfect bulge. He leaned into me, forcing my body to lay down across the sofa, before climbing on top of my shaking figure. His mouth traveled down my jawline, across my neck and nibbled at the skin on my collarbone.

I closed my eyes in a futile attempt to get a grasp on reality.

_Was this really happening?  
Maybe I did fall asleep._

Suddenly, as if he'd heard me, he sunk his teeth into my chest, causing an audible yelp to escape my lips.

_Nope, definitely wasn't dreaming._

I ran my hands through my tangled hair, struggling for a rational thought. Realizing that reason no longer had anything to do with this, I concluded that this was pure, unaltered instincts. Reason hardly had meaning once your body took over.

Suddenly, I heard my tank top being ripped in half and my head snapped up. "Damn it, Edward. What the hell are you doing?"

"Bella, do you want me to stop?" He brought his hand under my chin and forced me to look into those green eyes of his. He tried so hard to conceal it, but I could tell he was nervous that I would say yes.

I shook my head quickly, biting my bottom lip with uncertainty. This was definitely what I had been daydreaming about for months, but now that it had become a reality, was I sure I could go through with it? There was definitely nothing good that could come from this . . . and surely he knew that as well.

He leaned in and pressed his lips to my ear. "Then shut up, and let me do what I came here to do."

His fingers trailed down my body and planted between my legs once again, his fingernails gently scraping against my skin. They dragged north until he'd finally found his destination, perfectly circling my clit with his thumb while two fingers dipped inside of me. They instantly located that spot they had discovered earlier and coaxed it into ecstasy. I arched into him, his lips paying special attention to my neck as they gently nibbled and sucked little portions of my skin. Every nerve in my body stood on end; my nipples hardened, and all I could see was the bronze tint of his hair trailing down my body. My heart raced in my chest as the trembling continued down to my stomach and thighs. I tensed my muscles to try to hide it, but he pulled back and smiled up at me.

"You're shaking," he whispered.

"So are you," I answered quickly. He smirked and reached into his pocket, pulling out a condom and ripping it open with his teeth. He unrolled the rubber between us and steadied himself at my opening. Then, he looked up and flashed this beautiful, sexy grin.

_Oh my God._

I could have come right then and there. My heart fluttered in anticipation. Regardless of how I knew I would feel afterward, everything in my body wanted to get this over with -- wanted to do this now.

He pushed into me slowly, one hand on my hip and the other on the arm of the sofa behind my head. As soon as our bodies were completely connected, this insane rush shot through my very soul. It was like I'd spent my entire life waiting and building up to this moment and every encounter before him had just been practice. We just . . . fit . . . like two mystery puzzle pieces. Our bodies spoke to each other in a language completely their own.

My intention was to start slow, take it for everything it was worth, but once I'd engulfed him, there was no stopping the mania between us. My hands seemed to be everywhere and nowhere all at once. The heat of his body shot into my fingertips like an electric current, but I couldn't tell you what part of him I was actually touching. I hadn't a clue.

It was mind boggling how someone I'd come to despise, come to loathe, could have such an effect on me. I suddenly feigned the urgency, demanded the quick release. I couldn't hang in suspense any longer. With each thrust of his hips, I angled mine toward him, forcing him deeper and harder into me. I moaned and fisted clumps of hair and I'm certain my eyes may have rolled back in my head. But in this moment, I couldn't care less.

I was in another place, another time, where things like this and feelings like this happen everyday. I'd never, in my twenty plus years, experienced ANYTHING like this before -- anything. Little kisses trailed down my neck in response to the moaning, but that only escalated the incoherent sounds emanating from the back of my throat.

My fingers scrapped down the back of his shoulder blades, causing Edward to gasp and collapse on top of me.

"Like it rough, huh?" he teased, adding a little smile to the end of his sentence.

"Ah, just fuck me," I managed to sputter in response.

He laughed a little and leaned down to give me a simple peck on the lips. In the heat of the moment, that little kiss seemed more romantic and lustful than any peck before it. I was euphoric. My heart pounded in my ears, my hands shook with each pulse of blood echoing through them and, through it all, the only thought plaguing my mind was, _"Damn, this is perfect!"_

Perfectly flawed.

We fit -- and we didn't. Our bodies seemed to know each other already, as if we'd been together a million times before, and yet, our professions made us a match made in hell.

_Fuck it. _

And just as I decided not to think about it, he did some little move that sent my nerves haywire. My toes curled, my clit throbbed and every muscle I had in my body clamped down. I cursed and moaned and writhed and, _God, _it just felt so damn good -- the best thing I'd felt in years.

"Come with me," I grunted, forcing my hips harder into his. But there was no time. A wave of pure esctasy rushed over my entire being. My eyes clamped shut, my hands curled into fists and my jaw dropped. This orgasm topped every single orgasm of my entire life.

He flashed that sexy smile again before wrapping his arms around my shoulders, hooking on to my body to give him more leverage. And then everything slowed way down. Our eyes met with an earth shattering connection, as if sheer adoration was emanating from either pair. I was about to say something about it, but his face tightened, his lips curled, and I knew he'd reached his climax as well.

I wasn't sure how he felt, but this was quite possibly the best sexual climax of my life. I was gasping, clinging to every thing around me in order to gain control of reality. Every nerve in my body stood on intense alert.

Moments passed, and neither of us said anything. We lie on my couch, a tangled mess of limbs, each breathing down the serotonin and adrenaline high. Eventually, he pulled his head back and leaned in to kiss me, bringing his hand to my cheek to circle it endearingly with his thumb. Gentle kissed trailed over my nose, eyes, forehead. With a crooked grin, he slid out of me and pushed himself to the far end of the couch, leaning back and running his hands through his sweaty hair.

"So, this is my loft," I finally whispered, attempting to break the awkward silence. I pushed myself up, brought my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them.

"So I noticed," he quietly replied. "Nice place."

I tried to stop it, I tried to refrain, but something inside forced the words out anyway. "This can never happen again," I quickly uttered. I gasped as the words slipped out of my mouth, instantly shaking my head with disappointment. It was as if our bodies were attuned to each other, already knowing where to go and what to do. The sex was mind-blowing and so perfect, but I had only just met this man. He was my enemy. He was the bad guy, the one trying to put me out of business. God, if Jenks ever found out about this, I would surely be fired before I could fully explain myself.

He paused, seeming a bit shocked at how blunt I was about it. "Right," Edward finally sighed, allowing a sarcastic undertone to break through in his voice. "What time is it?" I looked at my TV box that was projecting six fifteen into the dark room. He followed my glance. "I'd better get going. Gotta hit the gym before the spy games begin."

"Spy games," I whispered, allowing a small laugh to break through my lips. I was stunned, completely in awe at how quickly everything had happened. He was here, he did what he came to do, and now he was leaving. Some part of me felt used, but the wiser part reminded me that it was me who told him that this could never happen again. It was me who was kicking him out. Perhaps he would have stayed had I kept my mouth shut, though I wasn't entirely sure that was what I wanted either.

He stood and brought his pants back to his hips, zipped them and pulled the button through the hole. He looked down and smiled at me. In a slow motion, he leaned down to lift my chin with his index finger.

"That was amazing, and I'll be seeing you later." He brought his lips to mine gently, and then kissed my nose before standing up and grabbing his shirt. He shot me a wink and walked through my loft to the door.

I plopped back on the couch, grabbed my hair with my fists, and pulled at the roots with frustration. Having him right across the street was difficult enough before, but after this morning, how could I expect to get any work done?

I decided then and there that I couldn't let myself act any differently. I couldn't let myself be vulnerable again like I was in the elevator. He'd really left a wound that I may or may not still be licking, and even though he made it up to me, I couldn't forget that shock in his eyes after the lights came back on. It was as if he'd lost control and was killing himself over it.

I couldn't let myself be vulnerable, but that didn't mean I couldn't have some fun. He had upset me, so I deserved my revenge. I needed to start immediately, beginning with a shower. If he was going to be playing spy games all day, the least I could do was tease him some more. My business suit was sexy in that powerful CEO kind of way, but today, I was projecting another image.

Alice was the best assistant a girl could ask for. Give her a credit card and an empty closet, and she'll fill it with glorious fabric and shoes. I managed to pick out my outfit without any trouble, but when it came to the shoes, I was torn between two pairs, my black leather boots or my Gucci heels.

_What to wear? What to wear?_

Alice's voice resonated in my head. "You can never go wrong with Gucci." The girl was right.

I threw on the heels and checked my reflection in the mirror. My brown hair hung just below my shoulders in soft ringlets that accented the neckline of my beautiful, white dress. My make-up was perfect. My outfit was perfect. I looked absolutely ravishing. I was surprised that I was able to pull this off alone.

I shot myself a wink and turned for the door.

_Edward Cullen, eat your heart out._

Punctual as always, I arrived at my office at nine o'clock on the dot. I walked down the hallway and winked at Alice as I passed her window. I saw her jaw drop as she jumped from her desk to trail after me.

"Wh- How did you- What are you- Are you smiling?" she finally managed to say as she rushed behind me.

"Is that what that strange tightening is? I thought I was losing control of my face," I joked as I opened the door to my office and giggled.

"I haven't seen you look like this since you nailed Caleb Knox on the hood of his '99 Camaro in college."

"Was it a '99?" I asked as I sauntered to my desk and plopped down in the chair behind it. Alice flew to the seat across from me and put her hands out in front of her on my desk. "I thought it was a '97," I whispered to myself as I casually swung my chair around to see if Edward had arrived. To my dismay, he was not in his office. I sighed and turned to Alice.

"No . . ." she gasped, bringing her hands to her mouth. I whipped my eyes to hers and raised my eyebrows, wondering if she'd figured it out. "You didn't?"

"I didn't . . . _what?_"

"Did you screw Edward Cullen?" she hissed, her voice so slow I could barely hear it.

I nodded twice, licking my lips and crossing my hands in front of me.

"AND?" she shouted.

"It was fantastic," I whimpered, collapsing onto my desk and banging my head on the sturdy wood. "But then I said it couldn't happen again and that it was a mistake."

"Well, that was dumb. It sounds like that's the last thing you would want to happen," Alice replied matter-of-factly.

"Are you kidding? If Jenks hears of this, I'd be gone. No explanation required," I snorted.

"I'm not so sure. I think that if you told him-"

"Alice, I don't really care to talk about it. I'm not even sure how I feel just yet," I said on a sigh, hoping she would just give in and shut up. "Can we just move on?"

"Suit yourself. You've got appointments lined up for most of the day, then a lunch meeting with Robert Smith, the new technology analyst for Sprint." Alice went on, detailing the exact events of my day. I inhaled deeply and nodded with each note on the agenda. When she finished, she stood and walked out my door, leaving me alone with my distractions. She probably could tell I was in a funk, and pressing for more information would have been the wrong thing to do.

I ran my fingers over my head and closed my eyes with frustration. _How would I ever be able to focus?_ Visions of last night's encounter plagued my thoughts, and the suddenness of how everything had happened left me begging for more.

I stood and walked to my closet, gently hanging my jacket inside. Returning to my desk, I glanced up. I told myself I wasn't going to do this, but curiosity was getting the best of me. There he was, standing at his window and leaning against a beam, looking into my office. He'd worn a green shirt today, the perfect color to accent his tempting eyes. His hair was in its normal disarray. If it were possible, he looked hotter than last night. As I wondered how long he had been watching me, I smiled and nodded in his direction.

He shot me a crooked grin and turned away to sit at his desk. I smiled and felt an anxious pride come over me because that brief encounter was his way of saying he was still interested. He'd had me, he knew it was a mistake, and yet, he was still intrigued. Feeling a tad smug, I sat back down at my desk and began reviewing my sales reports.

I made true to my word. I didn't so much as look at him the entire day, though it was extremely difficult to resist. The fact that I had people constantly coming in and out of my office was crucial to my plot working. I had no choice but to face away from him.

Alice popped in a couple of times throughout the day. When she came in to tell me goodbye, she mentioned that he was indeed watching us and had been every time she had come in. I felt the butterflies swell in my stomach as an excited wave crashed over me. My evil plan was working.

A few hours later, I was standing hunched over my keyboard, inputting the last little amount of data and getting ready to leave for the evening. Suddenly, my phone rang. I absentmindedly answered and brought the receiver to my ear.

"Isabella Swan," I greeted as I continued to type away on my keyboard.

"You make it very difficult to concentrate . . ." the voice replied. It was that sweet, velvet voice I longed to hear all day. ". . . leaning over your desk in such a way."

"Hello again," I teased innocently, sneaking a peek over my shoulder. He was standing at his window, feet shoulder width apart and arms crossed in front of him. The phone receiver was shoved in between his head and his shoulder. "What can I do for you today?"

"I was wondering if you might stop teasing me? It's beginning to make me rather uncomfortable," he whispered, echoing his words from last night.

"Mr. Cullen, I've spilled nothing on me today nor have I disrobed in any way. How could I possibly be teasing you?" I replied, turning to face him and leaning against my desk.

"That dress and those heels . . . those are fuck-me heels, are they not?"

"They are."

"Was all of this for me?"

"Don't flatter yourself," I lied.

"Well, you look great. Thanks for allowing me a few moments to take in the sight in all its glory. The back of your head, though interesting, is nothing compared to the front."

"Have you been spying on me all day?"

"Please, Bella. Surely, I've got better things to do than play spy games with the enemy," he joked sarcastically.

"Am I the enemy now?" I asked playfully.

"Were you ever not?" he answered, mocking my tone.

"Then why did you call me?"

"Haven't you ever heard the saying 'keep your friends close, but your enemies closer'?"

"And how close do you suppose we ought to be?"

He seemed stunned, unsure of what to say next. With that he hung up the phone, grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair and left his office. I quickly turned my monitor off and followed suit. I ran down the hallway and pushed the elevator button about a thousand times. It couldn't arrive fast enough.

Thirty agonizing seconds later, the doors opened and I jumped in, pushing the ground button. I paced the elevator, wondering if I'd get to the ground before he left. What if he was gone? Would he come to me again tonight? This was torture. I hated him. I hated that he did this to me. And at the same time, I loved everything about the way I felt right now. He set my nerves on fire, and it was the most exhilarating experience I'd ever had.

When the doors reopened, I waved goodbye to Ollie and rushed out of the lobby, through the spinning door and onto the sidewalk. I looked both ways and saw no sign of him, so I ran to the parking garage.

There he was, leaning against my black Mercedes with a crooked grin on his face. I stalked towards him and pushed the unlock button on my car remote. He wrapped his hand behind my head and pushed me against the cool metal. "I suppose we ought to be as close as we can, for as long as we can."

I pulled the handle behind me and opened the back door. I sat down on the seat, scooted myself back and pulled him in by the front of his shirt.

"Do you know what will happen if anyone finds out about this?" I asked.

"I won't tell if you won't." Then his lips were on mine once again in a fiery and passionate embrace.


	3. Love and Success

**Chapter 3  
Love and Success**

Our encounter in my Mercedes ended as awkwardly as the first. After he'd ravaged me in the back seat of my car, he simply kissed me on the cheek and told me that he would see me later. At the time, I wasn't sure exactly how much later that would be, but I was praying it wouldn't be too long. Something about this man set me on fire. Something about the intensity of our encounter made every nerve I had stand on end. It was not a feeling I wanted to give up. After catching my breath, I pulled myself together, reassembled my attire and tip-toed out of the back seat and into the front.

I looked into the rear view mirror. My hair was tangled behind my head and my black eyeliner smudged under my eyes. I did the best I could to get the make up off, and unmess my hair, but it was useless. Sighing in frustration, I put my car into reverse and began the drive home. Immediately after the serotonin high had worn off, panic set in.

Just what, exactly, did I think I was doing? There were security cameras all over that parking garage. I'd be lucky as hell if no one saw us, but I doubted that was the case. I had a sickening feeling that I would go into work tomorrow and Jenks would be waiting for me in my office, separation paperwork already filled out and anticipating my signature. My life would crash around my feet all because I couldn't control my hormones. Even if they were tall, handsome, hormones with gorgeous, green eyes -

_STOP IT BELLA!_

My hands were sweaty as they gripped onto the steering wheel and my knees shook under me as I depressed the gas pedal. Attempting to block _him _out, I turned the radio to the first station I could find. Rap blared through my stereo as I pulled up to my building and parked in my usual spot. I took a deep breath and checked my reflection in the rear view once more, preparing myself for any encounter that may occur.

After getting out of my car in a hurry, I walked into the building and looked around for any signs of him. There were none. My heart sank a little. I wasn't sure exactly what I was expecting or what I hoped would happen, but the thought of seeing his eyes on mine again set off something inside of me - some kind of feral urge that I had no chance of resisting. As I walked to the elevator and pushed the up button, I glanced around once more to no avail.

The doors opened and I shuffled in, feeling a tad depressed and overwhelmed by the state of things. I was in a pickle, a serious, fucked up pickle. What the hell was I going to do? What would Jenks do if he ever found out about this? I could say, "oh, it's just a one night stand," but it wasn't anymore. Our tryst in the backseat of my Mercedes just ensured it was no longer a one night stand. Do people have two night stands? Or maybe even three night stands?

_No, silly! Those are called affairs._

I wanted it to be over - my logical mind was begging for it to be over. But every bone in my body was screaming for more, more, more. My skin crawled at the thought of seeing him, fucking him, again.

"Hold the elevator," came a voice from the lobby. My hand immediately snapped to the doors open button as I looked up, half expecting to see him standing in front of me. My stomach dropped when I realized it was the father of two that lived down the hall from me. I had run into him a few times, and we exchanged passing glances, but our relationship had stopped there. "Oh, Hello," he greeted politely.

I took a few breaths to slow my prematurely anxious heartbeat as a sheepish smile came to my face. I adjusted my gaze to the floor and moved to the wall of the elevator, allowing some room for my neighbor to come in. Memories of being pushed up against this exact railing plagued my thoughts. I imagined running my hands through Edward's thick, silky hair while his face found it's way in between my legs. The way his tongue felt against my skin taunted me. My clit twitched at the thought, and I got so caught up with thinking about my brief encounter that I didn't even notice when the elevator stopped on our floor.

My neighbor exited first, but stopped when he noticed that I didn't move. "This _is_ the right floor... right?" he joked, breaking me from my memories.

"Oh!" I exclaimed, jumping a little. "Yeah. Yeah it is." I exited and quickly walked down the hall to my loft, fumbling with my keys at the door.

"Goodnight," my neighbor whispered.

I smiled at him and walked into the safe retreat of my belongings. I entered through my foyer and threw my jacket and purse down on the chair in my living room. My gaze passed over the space and naturally landed on the couch.

_"So you like it rough, huh?"_

_"Just fuck me."_

Visions of Edward taking me in every which way danced in my head. I clamped my eyes shut and tried to shake the memory from my mind, but my efforts were in vain. It only intensifed. Not only was I imagining his hands all over me, I had begun to rub my fingers over my breasts and imitate the feeling. Those fingers ghosted down my body to the moist center between my legs, which was only becoming more and more demanding as the memories continued.

_Stop it, Bella! Stop it right now! Enemies, remember? ENEMIES!_

I sighed and stomped up the stairs to my bedroom, my safe haven. Nothing had happened there, it was still Edward free.

Even though my nerves were going haywire, my body was simply exhausted. I hadn't slept in over 40 hours, courtesy of Edward Cullen, and now it was catching up to me. I slipped my heels off of my feet and collapsed face first into my bed, neglecting to take off my dress whatsoever. I simply couldn't muster the energy for that.

I fell into a slumber comparable to a coma, unable or unwilling to hear the alarm when it went off the next morning. I didn't stir until Alice's unmistakable ring tone came blaring through my phone. I rolled over and subconsciously answered.

"Hello?" I croaked.

"Where the hell are you?" Alice shrieked.

I sat up and looked at the alarm. Nine thirty.

_OH! SHIT!_

"I'll be there in a half an hour," I groaned, jumping out of bed and dashing to my bathroom.

"Jenks is here," Alice hissed, obviously covering her mouth with her hand to be secretive. "He's asking for you. I didn't know what to tell him."

Jenks . . . Oh no . . . He must have reviewed the security tapes from last night and saw us in my car. It was going to happen. I was going to get fired. All because of my affair, and I had no way around it. "Ahh.. Crap. Tell him I'm on my way." I sighed and looked at myself in the mirror, slightly shocked by the face staring back at me. My hair looked like the creature from the black lagoon, and the fact that I didn't wash my makeup off last night had caught up to me. I now had a eyeliner and mascara face mask.

"Hurry," Alice concluded before she hung up the phone. I literally took the fastest shower in the world and cleaned myself as best as I could in such a short amount of time. Now came the true dilemma. _What to wear today?_ I grabbed a dark blue, long sleeved dress and the knee high boots that I had discarded yesterday. Rather than blow drying my hair, I pulled it back into a tight bun and grabbed my purse and jacket, ushering out the door as fast as my legs would carry me.

I was there at ten o clock on the dot and sauntered down the hallway to my office, eyeing Alice at her window.

"He's in there, waiting for you," she whispered, continuing to type away at her computer. I took a deep breath and turned for my door, cringing as I twisted the handle and walked in. I knew this would happen eventually and I needed to be prepared for whatever he threw my way. I'd made my own bed, I suppose, so now I'd have to sleep in it.

"Good morning, Bella," he greeted in a cheerful tone from behind my desk. He was standing at the window, looking into enemy territory with his hands folded behind his back. He turned to face me, a gentle smile creasing his face, and took a few steps forward.

I took a hesitant step to counter him and peeked at the window. Edward was already there, seated at his desk and typing away at his computer. I gulped and forced a smile at my boss. "Good morning, Mr. Jenks." I sighed, trying to hold back the panic in my voice. "I apologize for keeping you waiting. I'm feeling a bit under the weather."

"It's quite alright, Bella. I'm not here to lecture you on the hours you keep, though I hear you've been leaving close to ten every night since first quarter," Jenks explained. "It's no surprise that you're dead tired." He smiled warmly and closed the distance between us.

"Is there something I can do for you, sir?" I asked as I stood awkwardly still. I was afraid that any movement I made would give me away, if I wasn't already caught red handed.

"I've stopped by to schedule lunch with you in two weeks. I know I could have set it up with Alice, but I wanted to make you personally aware of the situation." He paused to scratch his balding head complatively . "I've been confronted with a dilemma, and, although your opinion matters greatly, I want to fully think things through before I continue in either direction. I'm going away, so you'll be completely in charge, though my presence has never made a difference. You're completely in charge whether I'm in the country or not." He grinned and put a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Tough times are ahead of us, my dear. I hope you're prepared for it. You know Cullen only missed us by two percent last quarter. Let's try to increase that gap, huh?" With that, he walked past me and to my door, pausing to say one more thing before he left. "I'll set that meeting up with Alice. You take care of yourself until then." With that, he left me alone to my thoughts.

I closed my eyes and heaved a deep sigh of relief. Jenks had not found out about Edward and I. But he did come to me about _a dilemma? _

_What in the world could that mean?_

I shook my head indifferently, refusing to think about it until Jenks brought it up again. Whatever was plaguing his mind had no place in mine until he deemed it so. Since he had neglected to inform me about the exact details of the situation, I decided I didn't need to know. If that was the case, I should focus on what he did tell me. _Let's try to increase that gap, huh?_ My work was all I needed to focus on.

When I finally opened my eyes again, my attention was immediately directed to Edward's window. He had swung his chair around to face me and was squeezing a stress ball. I smiled at him, rolled my eyes and walked over to my desk, throwing my purse on top of it to pulled out my chair. I grabbed my binoculars and looked behind me once more. The smart ass held up a sign that read "You're Late." I gave him the finger and turned back to my computer, sitting down to begin my mindless, droning day of work.

A few seconds later, my direct line rang. "Isabella Swan?" I answered.

"Well, that was uncalled for," said the sweet tone.

I sighed, trying to conceal the gentle smile that came to my face at the sound of his sweet, satin voice. "Mr. Cullen, you should know better than to call me during office hours."

"I was worried about you. That conversation looked intense," he teased.

"Quite the opposite, actually. Very informational." I countered, swinging around to look at him again. "You didn't come to me last night."

"Oh no. I did, several times," he joked, obviously spinning my words to add a sexual undertone that I did not suggest.

I snorted a laugh and then met his gaze. "Good to know. Will there be anything else?"

"Not at the moment," he nodded his head toward me and then hung up his receiver. I followed suit, then crossed my arms in frustration. My boss had just told me to get to work, increase the gap between the productivity of my Dyco Tech and Cullen Inc. Yet, I couldn't stop wishing that Edward would throw caution to the wind, storm into my office and take me right here and now, possibly on the desk or my leather couch or against the door or against the -

_DAMN IT, BELLA! GET TO WORK!_

I concluded then and there that these daydreams needed to end, along with my obsession for Edward Cullen. He was untouchable, the forbidden fruit, and as delicious as it may be to bite into him, I couldn't bear the bitter after-taste any longer. It left me reeling for more, and that simply could not nor would not be allowed.

I struggled to make it through the day. Each hour dragged on like an eternity, and I found myself tempted to swing my legs around and stare at him every twenty minutes. I forced myself to continue pecking away at my work until Alice called me for my lunch meeting at noon. "You've got forty five minutes to make it down to Wall Street. You're meeting with Alan Anderson," she explained. "Your driver is waiting."

"Thank you, Alice," I answered as I hung up the phone and grabbed my jacket. I turned off my monitor and headed for my door, sneaking a peek at the enemy before leaving. He wasn't in his office, so I assumed that he must have already left for lunch. I allowed a tiny frown to come to my face before I puttered out of my office and down the hallway to the elevator. Once in the lobby, I walked through the revolving glass doors and climbed into the back of the limo that was waiting for me.

An hour later, I found myself the only woman at a table full of wall street scum bags. They talked quickly and in a language all their own. If it wasn't for the specialized training Jenks had given me, I wouldn't be able to keep up.

"_Wall Street folk are just like dogs. If you're found as a stray, they'll eat you alive. But once you're part of the pack, they'll never deal with anyone else,"_ Jenks had once explained and he was absolutely right.

Mr. Anderson had proved to be one of my most influential clients. Because Dyco Tech was now "part of the pack," he and his buddies would only deal with me. In fact, he'd brought more companies with him than any other client I'd ever worked with. He was responsible for most of our annual income, and, because of this, I had to kiss his ass. This man paid my salary and then some. I was obligated to do it, but that doesn't mean I liked it.

He was a chauvinist, often making obscene jokes about women in front of me. "What do you call a Blond's pig-tails ... Handle bars," he opened with this afternoon.

_Really?_

That's the conversation we're going to have over lunch? He didn't see me as a woman, and so it was allowed in this particular situation, but it was degrading nonetheless. I anxiously wanted to finish my Caesar salad, say goodbye and head back to my office. At least then I would be able to stare at something gorgeous, even if I couldn't touch it.

Just as that thought crossed my mind, I heard a familiar voice echoing from the back of the restaurant.

"Will, if you want to take your business elsewhere, I'll certainly understand. But please consider the benefits of staying with Cullen Inc," the velvet voice pleaded. I turned my head behind me and saw my bronze headed temptation sitting at a table a few feet back. With him was a blond male client who was looking very disgruntled with the sales figures placed in front of him. I quickly turned back toward the table and wiped my mouth on my napkin, contemplating the situation I had found myself in. Cullen was losing a client, one that would probably be calling me in a few hours to arrange a meeting.

"Edward, I just need to think about it, decide which direction is the best way to go. I just don't know if I can trust my money with _you_. Now, Carlisle was a different story," the attractive man sitting across from Edward said in a thick British accent, putting his hands up in protest. I had never thought about it like that before. I assumed most people thought him to be rather successful, like his father. Instead, it appeared people were jumping ship quickly. I had to assumed it was because some people would perceive him as inexperienced. "Thank you for the meal," his client retorted, grabbing his to go box and rising to walk past my table for the exit.

I leaned closer to the table and put my hands over my face to hide as Edward turned to watch the man leave. My hiding was pointless, Edward's eyes met with mine instantly, as if the two pairs were attracted to each other like magnets. He furrowed his eyebrows for a brief second and then turned back to his table, collecting his things and rising to follow his client out. I avoided his glance as he stormed through the exit door and into his limo waiting out front.

We finished our meal soon after that, and I offered to pay the bill on the company expense account when the time came. I was in my limo and back to my office as quickly as humanly possible. I had to see what Edward was doing now that he was feeling the pressure of losing a big account. I hopped out of the car before the driver had stopped fully and raced into the lobby, pressing the up button by the elevator as quickly as I could. I was able to catch one before it closed all the way, prying myself in between the doors as they were shutting. I anxiously waited for the minute and a half ride, and once the doors opened on my floor, I dashed down the hallway and into my office.

In my frenzy, I was able to catch a glimpse of Alice out of the corner of my eye, who immediately threw her hands up in the air and followed right behind me. I flew to my desk and reached for the binoculars before whipping around and looking into his office.

He was pacing, throwing his hands in the air and yelling at a blond man standing in the background. Upon closer inspection, I realized the blond man was Carlisle. Something big had happened. The man who left at the restaurant was of huge importance, enough to drag down the former CEO, and now retired owner. I wondered what this could mean for their company.

"Whats going on?" Alice gasped as she raced behind me to the other side of my desk.

"He just lost a big account. I heard it happen. He's furious," I explained as I looked back at her. By the time I regained focus on my mission, the over cast had faded, allowing brilliant rays of light to break through. Edward turned to face me, meeting my gaze for a split second before he slowly disappeared and I found myself staring at my own building's reflection. "No! NO! Shit!" I yelled as I threw the binoculars back on my desk in frustration. "Bloody sunlight."

"Oh, That's right. Curse the sunlight!" Alice chastised. "May I remind you that you could get fired for this. You said so yourself. Now, stop spying on him, and get back to work. You said he lost a big client? Then find out who it was and call him before he calls you. You know that's the next step." Alice leaned over my desk, with her hands firmly planted on either side of my giant calender, a death stare on her face.

Suddenly, my phone rang. "Ah! Look at that. It's probably the big account now." Alice smirked as she leaned over and picked up the receiver. "Isabella Swan's office."

_"This is Anita from Mr. William Dean's office calling. He would like to set up an appointment with Isabella Swan, the Chief Executive Officer for Dyco Technologies. I was transferred to this extension,"_ the chirpy voice on the other end greeted.

"Mr. William Dean? Sure, I'd be happy to arrange that for you." Alice put her on hold and then hung up the receiver, shooting me a wink and retreating from my office.

I shook my head in utter confusion. Here I was, practically dying until the next time I could fuck him, and I was secretly setting up appointments with his clients. I couldn't allow this to continue. I had to stop it before my feelings began to get in the way of what I set out to do. I would dominate this industry, and I would get rich doing it. Edward _**must**_ become another rail in that ladder, or I threatened losing it all. I closed my eyes, heaved a deep sigh of frustration and got to work, writing presentation after presentation and throwing myself completely into any distraction I could think of.

Alice came in around six to say goodbye. "So, did you do what I told you?" She smiled and sat on the edge of my desk.

"I haven't looked at him since I got back from lunch," I sneered as I bustled some papers around, looking for a specific report.

"Really?" Alice gripped at her coffee mug as she looked up to his office. "He's staring at you again."

I gasped and whipped around to look at him. What I saw there practically make my stomach churn. "Oh my," I stuttered. A horrible grimace smeared across his once gentle features. "Leering is more like it," I corrected, slowly turning back to my desk.

"Oh, come on. He had to know that this would happen sooner or later. If only you hadn't slept with him, this would make you so much happier."

"Shhh!" I hissed. "Keep that down. I don't need the whole building knowing."

"Are you going to see him again tonight?"

I looked at her and then back at him. He continued to curse me with his eyes. "It doesn't appear so."

"Well, whatever you do, be careful and have fun." Alice giggled, poking me in the ribs before prancing out my door. I shook my head and slowly looked back at him once more. He was already on the phone. My receiver chirped three times before I gained the courage to answer it.

"Hello?" I cringed.

"You haven't looked at me all day," Edward sighed.

"I seem to remember a conversation about my stopping all of that," I teased, hoping to lighten his mood.

"Forget it."

His tone surprised me. He was blunt, somehow forceful. "Why?"

"I like the way it feels when you look at me."

"Mr. Cullen, I think we need to end-"

Before I could continue, Edward interrupted me. "Bella, can I," he paused, deciding what to say next. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"What do you want out of life?" There was a pain to his voice, something that had probably been there the whole conversation, but I was just now picking up on.

Without even thinking about it, I lied and gave my usual response. "Happiness." To be completely honest, the true answer was tie between success and love. I could never really pin point which one I wanted more, so I decided on happiness, figuring that either route would bring me there. But now that I think about it, I already was beginning to taste the early fruits of success, so I suppose the correct answer was love.

I'd never been in love. Sure, I'd had a few flings in college, Caleb Knox being one of them. But I listen to Alice talk about Jasper. She describes a kind of mind blowing connection, where she feels like their bodies were totally in sync with one another. I'd never experienced anything like that, until two nights ago. But I wouldn't go so far as to say I was falling in love with Edward Cullen. Lust, certainly. My body ached for him, fluttered for him, but my heart remained guarded. I watched my mom fall apart after my dad split when I was seven. I couldn't make it through anything like that. I decided, when I was very young, to never let myself get that close to anyone. That way, no one would ever break my heart. It's childish, I'm well aware. But it's one of the reasons I'm where I am today. Successful, if not always happy and not always loved.

"You're lying," Edward snorted, breaking out in a laugh towards the end. "Happiness? Nobody in New York is happy. It's impossible. Move to LA, life goal accomplished."

"Well what do you want out of your life Mr. Smart Ass?" I tested, crossing my legs and placing my free hand in my lap.

"I don't know, and apparently that is a problem." Edward sighed and then ran his hand over his forehead. I was unsure of what to say, and so we sat in silence for a few seconds. "Can I ask you something else?"

"You just did," I teased.

He snickered and then cleared his throat, standing to walk closer to the window. "I have been having an internal debate. I require your assistance."

"Oh really? What can I help you with now?"

"What exactly are you wearing under that dress? Is it lace, cotton... nothing?"

I felt my heart skip a beat as the words left his lips. "Guess." I smiled devilishly and crossed my legs in the other direction, allowing just a teasing glance between them.

"We could be here for hours. Perhaps I'll just come check." With that, he hung up the receiver, grabbed his jacket and left his office. I shook as I turned off my monitor and raced down the hallway to the elevator. The doors swung open in a heartbeat, and I was instantly thankful to whomever had last taken the elevator back up here. I didn't have to wait for anyone. I jumped in, pushed the button for the lobby, and wrapped my hands behind my neck. I paced back and forth, back and forth. Where would this encounter lead me? My car? An alley? His office? My brain reeled at the possibilities, each one thrilling me more than the previous.

To my dismay, there was no bronze haired god awaiting me in the lobby. Nor was there anyone at my car. I pursed my lips in confusion as I climbed into the drivers seat and hastily put the car into reverse. Peeling wheels out of the parking garage, I drove back to my complex and, again, attempted to block any thought of him, just in case he was teasing me. It was a futile effort. He consumed me, engulfed me. I was already under his spell.

A few minutes later, I arrived in my parking spot and raced into my building. Nothing. _What in the hell was going on? Why was he fucking with me like this?_ I was so furious. Why would he talk about my underwear if he wasn't planning on investigating them?

I walked to the elevator in disappointment and rode the thirty second ride to my floor. When the doors opened, I walked down the hall and rounded the corner, immediately spotting a familiar figure waiting patiently outside of my loft. Smiling, I sauntered down the hallway and pulled my keys out of my purse, finding the right one and palming the rest in my hand. He stood facing me, directly in front of the door, a seductive smile etched across his face.

"Good evening, Mr. Cullen," I teased, taking a step towards him and pressing his body against the door. I reached in between his arm and body to put the key in the lock, turning it and pushing the wood open behind him.

He leaned down and pressed his lips close to my ear as his hands ran down my spine, resolving on the back of my thighs. "I'm betting they're lace," he whispered as he lifted me up. Giggling, I wrapped my legs around his waist and threw my arms over his shoulders, leaning down to kiss him passionately.

He turned for my loft and carried me in, all the while his lips never leaving mine. I shut the door behind us just in time for him to plop me down the edge of my dining room table, pushing a few chairs out of his way to do so. He pulled back and took off his jacket, throwing it over the kitchen counter. As I went to unzip my boot, a warm hand wrapped around my wrist to stop me.

"Leave those on," he demanded, reaching behind my head to pull the pins from my hair. It fell in soft ringlets around my shoulders. I looked up to meet his gaze which, at the moment, was fucking me from head to toe. He leaned in to kiss me once again, his hands trailing down my neck, over my shoulders and arm to finally rest at the hem of my dress. Those talented fingers crept underneath the fabric and swept up my thighs in what can only be described as a painfully slow manner. I wanted him to have me already, and the fact that he was drawing this out was only making me more anxious.

His hands found their way to my pink laced panties, tied on either side by a little ribbon. A crooked grin came to his face when he felt the linen. "I was right." He leaned in to kiss me on the neck and down to my collar bone, making my heart flutter in response. He slowly pulled my underwear down to my knees and over my boots, pushing them to the floor.

"How'd you know?" I whimpered.

"Lucky guess," he answered as he nibbled on the tender skin by my ear. My hands found their way over his shoulders to fumble through his hair. I gasped for air, and with that came the sweetest smell of his shampoo. I reached for the buttons on his pants, trying to speed the process, but he stopped me, ripped my knees apart and pushed me back on the table. He climbed on top of me, grinding his clothed pelvis into my bare skin. My breathing quickened, my palms grew sweaty and shaky, I couldn't calm myself down.

He brought his two fingers to my mouth and pushed them in between my lips. I sucked on them, nibbled at the end a little bit before he smiled and slid his hand down my body to the moist spot below my belly. He playfully circled my clit a few times before plunging into me. I arched up and wrapped my arms around his shoulders, bringing my head next to his ear.

Sweet fucking release. God, it felt good to be near him again, to have him ravishing my body with all his energy. And the way he looked at me - God, it made me feel so damned sexy. A moan fell from my lips just as he curled his fingers up and massaged my G-Spot with a fury. He seemed to know my body, know what I'd like, without me even telling him.

The ever-growing bulge in his pants rubbed against the inside of my leg and I knew it was aching for some attention as well, each twitch of the muscle provoking some desperate desire inside of me. I brought my hand between us and violently ripped the button off of his pants. It flew across the room and hit the wall, falling to the floor and rolling for a short distance.

"Oh shit, sorry!" I joked with a small giggle.

"Don't worry about it," he replied, shooting me a little wink followed by a gentle laugh. I fumbled for the zipper, ached to pull his pants down, but just as I was going for his boxers, he pulled my wrist away. "Wait," he demanded.

"For what?" I stammered, growing more impatient by the second.

A smile for a response and he lowered himself off of me to the floor. Just as I was about to question what he was planning to do, he pulled at the top of my thighs and brought my waist closer to the edge of the table. He unbuttoned his shirt, slid it down his shoulders and flung it over his jacket on my counter. His fingers returned to their place inside of me as Edward propped my boots onto either of his shoulders.

Then, his face disappeared between my legs. His tongue circled my sensitive skin as my hips arched into him. His fingers dove deeper into me and he sucked harder at my skin, driving me crazy. My hands balled into fists in my hair as my eyes rolled back into my head. I was blinded, unable to believe that any of this could be real.

"Come on my tongue, Bella," he whispered.

_WHAT THE FUCK? _

Oh . . . well if that isn't the hottest fucking thing anyone's ever said to me.

And he didn't wait for a response. He sucked and nibbled and licked at my clit, like he was consumed with my taste, my smell. The sheer overwhelming passion of it all forced my hips off of the table, steadying the majority of my weight on my heels digging into his shoulders. He worked harder and faster, plunging his fingers in and out of me at a mindblowing rate. Before I knew it, my muscles tightened around him and my hands found their way to his bronze locks. My pupils dilated, my breathing hitched and screams threatened to bust out of my mouth any second - I was biting my bottom lip to keep them at bay. Seeing him and feeling him like this made me climax harder than I ever had before - ever. This was even more intense that the romp last night. I tensed for a few minutes, allowing ecstasy to crash over me like a rip current, violently pulling me under his control.

He kissed a tiny trail up my clothed stomach, over the mounds of my breasts where my chest heaved desperately for air. My heart pounded against my rib cage while my eyes took in the green depths of his moving closer to me.

With that, he kissed me passionately and pulled off of me again, yanking me off of the table and flipping me over. He yanked my dress midway up my back and pushed me face first onto the wooden tabletop. I gripped at the table cloth, while I heard his boxers slide to the ground and then the distinct sound of paper being torn in half.

I smiled in anticipation, anxious for his entry. He leaned over me once more, putting one hand delicately on my hip and the other on my shoulder by my neck. He brought his lips to my ear and teased me one last time. "I've been dreaming about this all day." I felt his hands jerk me back and, suddenly, he was inside of me, fulfilling me completely. He wasn't easing into anything tonight. The force of his thick shaft produced an excited yelp from the depths of my throat.

He pounded into me, forcing my arms to sprawl across the table to maintain balance. The middle of my thighs slammed into the rough wooden edge. I was sure there would be bruises in the morning, and that turned me on even more. Good sex should always leave a mark.

Edward pulled on my shoulder to arch me into him even more. He angled his hips down and hit my spot, which was even more sensitive after my recent climax. I moaned and rocked harder against him. He leaned into my ear once more, teasing me again. "When I saw you in that fucking restaurant , it took all I had to just walk by you." He plunged harder and harder, bringing me close to climax once more. Just as I was about to get there, he slowed the pace and whispered, "I wanted to pull you into that bathroom, show you just what those boots do to me."

"Edward . . . Please . . ." I whimpered, losing all sense of reality. My vision was about to go white again.

Edward brought his hand around my waist and fingered my clit a few more times before quickening his pace and biting into my shoulder. I screamed with the mix of pain and pleasure. A few more thrusts and Edwards arms tightened around me. We had both been violently thrown over the edge.

I collapsed onto the table, and somehow found the strength to support his weight on top of mine. He slowly kissed a trail down my back before pulling off of me completely, disposing of the condom and rezipping his pants. I stood, adjusted my dress and stumbled to find my balance.

"You are quite the experience, Isabella Swan," Edward chirped as he leaned down to kiss me once more on the neck. His breath trailed down my goose-pimpled skin and I shivered. My nerves were still going beserk.

"I could say the same about you, Edward Cullen," I replied, wrapping my arms around his neck. "So what now?"

"Well, I was preparing to be kicked out again," Edward joked, his hands navigating a path through my tangled hair. He brushed it a few times before he sighed, shaking his head at a silent thought.

"What? What was that look?" I asked, hoping for any information about this man. I really knew nothing about him, and, yet, I found him so interesting. I felt like I couldn't know enough about him. I wanted him to tell me his whole life, everything he had ever experienced, everyone he had experienced. But that would be too much. I knew I couldn't get that involved, that I never would. It would only end badly - and for that, I could literally kick my own ass.

"It's just," he started before laughing and bowing his head. "I've never felt anything so perfect, and yet, so completely fucked up beyond reason."

I smiled, confused if he meant me or our relationship thus far. The same could be said of either. "Do you want to see the rest of my loft?"

"Perhaps some other time. I've got a few things to tighten up before tomorrow." He kissed the top of my hand and left.

I stood in my kitchen for some time before deciding to move to my bedroom.

_What was really happening to me? __What the fuck had I gotten myself into?_

I walked toward the stairs, but stepped on something hard and round. I bent down to see what it was, noticing I had tread on the button from Edward's pants. I smiled, picked up the little piece of plastic, and walked to my room, hiding the memento in my nightstand.


	4. The Clientele

Chapter 4  
"The Clientele"

Somehow I felt overwhelmed by the situation with Edward. Don't misunderstand me, he certainly rocked my world. He fricking set my nerves on fire, literally rocked my world, and I looked forward to our little encounters each and every night. The day following our incident on my dining room table, he called me just as he was leaving work in order to meet me outside of my apartment door. He ravaged me, took me however he wanted me, completely left me begging for more. It was the best sex of my life, and every encounter with him was only better than the time before.

As strongly as I was beginning to feel about him, I was also left feeling confused and dumbfounded. It was beginning to become more than just a physical attraction. I was becoming increasingly interested in him. I lingered on every word he said, reeling for more after each sentence. I was really beginning to believe I had the capacity to fall in love with him, and which was absolutely the stupidest thing I could do. I absolutely could not allow that to happen. I knew after the first night that this had to end, yet I lacked the courage to actually go through with it.

That Friday, my meeting with Mr. Dean became reality. I had prepared my usual presentation for enticing clients, and decided to bring Jessica, my sharp tongued marketing director, along with me just in case I needed backup. Alice had arranged a lunch meeting at a Japanese steakhouse a few blocks up. Jessica and I arrived a few minutes early in order to scout out the best seating. The restaurant was very modern with elegant tables connected to the gas powered grills. I loved places where they cooked the food right in front of you.

We took our seats just as Mr. Dean and two other gentlemen walked through the door. I waved my hand to welcome him over, and he smiled, taking a few more steps in our direction. Holy hot damn, he was striking, with platinum pale blond hair and piercing blue eyes. I hadn't gotten a good look at them last week when I saw him with Edward. But now that I was this close to him, I felt stunned by their beauty. They were such a light shade of blue that they were almost gray - in fact - they _were _gray. The color of a stormy sky predicting thunderstorms. He stood about six foot three, built like a swimmer with long lean muscles and thick shoulders.

I instantly felt a wave of guilt wash over me, like my being here was wrong, like I shouldn't be doing this to Edward. What would he do, I wonder, if he found out what I was doing? What would he do if he found out I was the one to steal his client out from under him? If he were smart, he would assume that Mr. Dean would come my direction, eventually. If Edward was any sort of intelligent business man, that's exactly what he would assume. I mean, where else would Dean go? I'm the only other considerable competition to Cullen Inc. So, technically, I wasn't doing anything wrong. I was just doing my job, and that was the extent that I should think about it.

I didn't want this to ruin the new found ecstasy that just entered my life. On the other hand, I couldn't let my new found ecstasy ruin where six years of hard work had gotten me.

Mr. Dean reached our table as I stood to shake his hand and introduce myself. "Mr. Dean? I'm Isabella Swan, it's nice to meet you," I managed to say. I didn't even sound nervous. I was strangely comfortable around this guy, like we had known each other for centuries. There was instantly some sort of unspoken connection between us, and I just couldn't put my finger on it. He shook my hand firmly and smiled, revealing the most adorable dimples.

_Oh, Mr. Dean, how delicious you are._

Struggling to compose myself, I chuckled tensely and introduced Jessica.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance," she murmured with a blush. Smiling sheepishly, she took his hand, shook it and sat down in her seat, bustling some papers back and forth. The rest of us followed suit and the waitress came around for our drink orders. I started with water, while Mr. Dean ordered a beer, joking about the rise of alcoholism in England and how he planned to add to that. I stifled a quiet giggle, while Jessica projected the loudest, most obnoxious chuckle from the depths of her diaphragm. She was trying too hard already. I shook my head and then got down to business.

"I'm not a person to waste time," Mr. Dean started, instantly taking control of the conversation. "Cullen Inc is under new management. Their stocks are in danger of plummeting, after only a week with junior as their CEO. I'm not sure I trust Edward in charge." He cleared his throat and took a sip of his lager, wiping his mouth off with his napkin before glancing back up to me. "So, what exactly does Dyco Tech have to offer me?" he asked, his British accent setting off that deep tone of his.

"Wow, you really don't waste any time," I teased, adding a little laugh to my sentence.

"Life's too short," he replied. "I've got no time for false promises or arguably ineffective business ethics. Which is why I came to you. I hear you've completely turned Dyco Tech around for the better. Is that not the case?"

"That's what they say," I replied.

"Is it true?"

With a small smile, I blushed and nodded. "Of course."

"They say you enthrall even the most stubborn investors," he continued, leaning in just the slightest bit. He placed his elbows on the table and crossed his hands over his beer. "Is it true about Vanderhausen?"

"He wasn't a terribly tough nut to crack," I answered modestly.

"Well, then, by all means. Enthrall me, Ms. Swan. Crack my nut."

I choked back the laughter at his obvious sexual innuendo before Jess and I took over together. We gave our usual speech, reviewed our sales figures, what he can expect from our products and our company. Throughout the presentation, Mr. Dean's eyes lingered on me. He watched intently as I backed my statements with facts. He seemed impressed by what I had to say, rarely asking questions or speaking at all. His stare refused to move from my face, it went straight through me. I couldn't help but wonder what exactly was going through his mind. Why in the hell was he looking at me like that?

Putting it out of my mind for the time being, I continued. Our sales pitch lasted into the chef preparing the food, even spilling over into plating. Once the food was hot and steaming in front of us, Mr. Dean put his hand up to stop us.

"You're extremely detail oriented, Ms. Swan. This is all fantastic," he started. "I like what I've heard so far. Let's eat and then let's talk money, how's that sound, huh?"

"Yeah, he hasn't ordered his food to go, so I suppose this will end well for you," one of his executives joked, eliciting a small laugh from the other one. I returned his grin and grabbed my chopsticks, digging into my Japanese Kobe steak platter. Typically, I was the one to eat as healthy as possible, but there is nothing more mouthwatering than this particular steak prepared medium raw with this particular restaurant's house sauce. I'm fairly certain I could eat this and only this for the rest of my life if I had to.

Mr. Dean made small talk throughout the meal, explaining how he enjoyed rock climbing in his spare time. He often dipped into racing and sky diving when he could, but lately, he'd been rather busy. This switch up with Cullen Inc. had thrown his plans into a downward spiral, and he'd spent the majority of the week cleaning it up. Not only that, but he'd recently lost someone exceptionally close to him, so dealing with that had been hard.

He was very interesting to listen to. The way he strung his words together left me hypnotized, which can be said of most men with a British accent. What could I say? I'm a sucker for foreign guys. I could easily sit here all day as he regaled fascinating stories about climbing mountains or the sights he had seen, what the Earth looks like from hundreds of miles in the air, and he didn't mean from an airplane. On the other hand, we got into an intense discussion about sky diving. I felt it foolish to willingly throw oneself out of an airplane, especially with the risk of a failing parachute. He chuckled at my paranoia. "It's a rush better than sex," he mused, taking another swig of his lager.

Jessica choked on her Diet Coke at the comment, resulting in a few chuckles from Mr. Dean's executives.

"Well, Ms. Swan. I believe I have no choice but to accept your extremely well thought out and completely outstanding offer. I'm sure it will be a pleasure doing business with you," he chirped toward the end of the meeting. I smiled and thanked him for the opportunity. We paid our bill with the company card, of course, and walked to the front of the building together. When we were outside, Jessica got engaged in a discussion with his executives about business ethics and Mr. Dean pulled me aside. "Ms. Swan, if I may speak freely. I believe that you are in serious need of loosening up. Perhaps we should go for a sky dive one of these days, you and I. Once you've had a rush that good, you'll never worry about a parachute again." He shot me a gorgeous smile and added a little wink to the end of his sentence.

My cheeks flushed with blood at the thought of going anywhere with this handsome, charming, incredibly interesting man. I tried to hide it by looking down, but he was anticipating a response from me. I sheepishly met his gaze and replied, "I'm not sure you could ever convince me to do that," adding a little giggle to the end.

He nodded and looked back at his associates, realizing they were ready to leave. "We'll see about that," he whispered, lifting one of my hands to his lips and kissing my knuckles. He shot me a wink and then left me awestruck on the side of the street. He and his executives climbed into the back of his limo.

"What was that?" Jessica hissed behind me.

"I think he just asked me on a date," I stuttered as I climbed into the back of the car.

Jess frowned a little, and climbed in behind me. "Lucky," she sighed.

We were back at the building within a matter of minutes, considering it was only a few blocks away from the restaurant. Jess and I shared an elevator on the way up and she rambled about how the meeting went. She thought Mr. Dean was amazing and urged me to accept his offer for a date. I shook my head in disappointment with myself. That was the last thing I needed right now. If I wasn't screwing the competition, I'd be screwing the clientele. "That's quite alright," I explained. "I'll pass." Jess got off on her floor and turned to say one more thing to me as the doors closed.

"Let me know if you're really going to pass on the sky diving. I might like to go instead." She smiled and then bounced away to her office. The doors shut and I anxiously rode the rest of the way up to my floor.

I walked down the hallway and stopped by Alice's office. I leaned against the door frame as she threw her arms in the air. "Well? How did it go?" she chirped.

"We got the account," I said, frowning.

"Wonderful!" Alice shouted as she jumped over to me. "That's great!" Her smile suddenly turned to a frown. Why aren't you happier?"

"I need to stop screwing him, Alice," I sputtered.

She shushed me and then ran into my office, shutting the door inconspicuously behind us. "What's the problem? I thought it was just sex." She stopped to look me in the eyes, her face growing more serious and strained. "It _is_ just sex, right?"

"I don't know," I groaned, balling my hands into my hair. "I think it's more than that now. It's interfering with work. The whole time I was there, I felt like I shouldn't be. I felt like I was cheating on him or something." The files that I slammed into my desk bore the brunt of my frustration.

"Bella! That's ridiculous. You're only doing your job. Dean sought _you_ out. Remember? Not the other way around. You did nothing wrong." Alice threw her arms around me and gave me a hug. She rubbed her hands on my shoulders, giving me some reassurance. I nodded in agreement as she looked over to the windows. "Well, he's waiting for you. Have you told him about today?"

I shook my head in denial. Regardless of our personal relationship, Edward and I were still enemies when it came to our profession. I looked over to him. His face was pleading as he paced back and forth in front of the window. His arm was crossed in front of him as his other extended up to his chin. He looked over to me occasionally, but looked away when we met eyes.

I inhaled deeply and slumped in my seat. It had to end here and it had to end now. I couldn't continue to do this to myself anymore. I had won his client, far and square. Alice handed me the binoculars and then turned to leave my office. "Alice. One more thing. Have my direct line transferred to you. I don't want any interruptions."

She nodded and then left me alone with my thoughts. I swung my legs around to ignore him just as I saw him pick up his phone. My phone chirped once but then was directed to Alice. I looked back to him only once as his jaw dropped and shock came across his face. He nodded to me and frowned, hanging up the receiver and returning to his computer.

I worked until about nine o'clock that night, and, when I'd gotten exhausted, I stood to switch off my monitor and head for the door. Suddenly, my phone chirped three times. I reached down to pick it up, but then hesitated. I knew who it would be, but nothing in me wanted to answer the phone. This would only end badly. My body urged me to do it, but my rational brain told me to back off.

Turning off the light and walking out of the office, I found myself struggling to resist the impulse to look up at him. I knew I shouldn't have done it, I willed myself not to, but I glanced up anyway. He was standing at the window, palms outstretched in front of him, legs crossed under his weight. I felt my knees give out from under me. All of our intimate moments came rushing back to me. The night on my table, the night in my car. I wanted him again, and by again, I meant right now.

There was this urge to tell him to come to me tonight, but that was probably the exact opposite of what I knew I should have done. So I shut my office door and turned to walk down the hallway, refusing to let him get control of me. I got as far as elevator before I regretted my decision. I would never feel that way again, never feel him inside of him, on top of me, all over me ever again. My heart sank at the thought.

As I walked into the elevator and pressed the button for the floor, I realized that it simply could not end like this. It didn't deserve to end like this. Our passion was too intense for me to dismiss it. I paced for the minute and a half it took to get down there, and when the doors finally opened, I calmly walked out into the lobby and headed for the revolving doors.

I circled through and out onto the street, lingering for a few minutes, anticipating him to exit his building any second. When he didn't, I looked up to see if I could make out his floor. It was pointless, he was too high for me to see. I walked to my car and climbed into the Mercedes, hoping he would still come to me later. There was no reason to believe that he would. And it was this moment that I realized I would be all alone tonight, for the first night in nearly a week.

Leaning my head back on the seat as I drove home in silence, my thoughts drifted to the way he looked when I refused his phone call. If he didn't come tonight, I would understand why. My rational brain knew that this had to end, and it had better end while I wasn't too emotionally involved. If this affair went on any longer, it would probably tear me apart when it ultimately was over and I couldn't allow that to happen to me.

I needed to protect myself. I couldn't risk losing my job because of this.

Edward wasn't waiting for me at my door when I got there like he'd made a habit out of doing. Regrettably, I was mildly disappointed about that and then frustrated with myself for being so upset. It was incredibly irritating that my hormones were beginning to get in the way of my professional life. They never had before, so I couldn't understand why I was letting them get to me now.

I listened intently for a knock at the door as I took my shower, and even after I'd crawled into bed, I jumped at any little noise, thinking it was him. A door slammed down the hall and I nearly sprang out of bed to run downstairs. My hopes were dismally shot down once I'd realized the noise was just my neighbor coming home.

It was close to two when I decided to give up anticipating his arrival. Typically, he was here by now and we'd be halfway into a sex-capade. I tried to roll over and fall asleep, but every time I shut my eyes, I saw his peering back at me and the way his shirt always hung off of his broad shoulders and the way his hair felt in my fingers. Then, my eyes shot right the fuck back open.

My clit throbbed. It was a pulsating force between my legs, having been spoiled by the last few days of attention and was now left aching for some sort of release. Grunting in frustration, I threw the covers off me, sauntered over to my closet and reached into my treasure chest hidden at the back. I hadn't used one of these in months, I hadn't felt the need. But tonight, I was anxious, and if he wasn't going to get me there himself, I'd just have to do it for him. I would just have to settle for an imaginary Edward.

I grabbed my rabbit vibrator and a bottle of lube before trudging back to my bed.

Pushing the button to turn the vibrator on, I'd expected to hear that familiar buzz but, sadly, nothing happened. Shock came across my face. _WHAT THE HELL!_ I wouldn't even be able to masturbate that night. I pulled the battery pack out of the bottom and realized that the batteries expired last year.

Well damn! It'd been longer than I thought.

I swore,_ loudly_, and stomped down the stairs in search of new double A's. I checked the kitchen drawers, my night stand, the coffee table, nothing. I was growing more frustrated by the second. Not only would I not be able to have the real thing, but now, I wouldn't even be able to come thinking about the real thing.

I was just about to give up when the glint off the remote for the TV caught my eye.

Hang on a second!

A flutter reached my heart when I tore off the battery covering and, lo' and behold, my TV remote took two double A's as well. I confiscated the batteries in a frenzy and rushed back to my room, plugging them into my Rabbit and pressing the power button again. This time, the rubber buzzed to life and I laid down so that I could slide my incredibly cute underwear down to my knees. Opening the bottle of lube and squirting some liquid on my fingers, I took a deep breath and rubbed the liquid at the anxious opening between my legs.

I brought the vibrator to my lower abdomen as I thought about Edwards eyes on me, the way it felt when I caught him spying on me the first day we met. I thought about that ride in the elevator, his face between my legs. I rubbed my hands on my breasts, imaging that they were his. Goosebumps swelled up and down my body as I guided the vibrator into me gently, instantly losing myself in a fantasy.

I suddenly wasn't in my bed alone; I was on a sailboat with Edward. We were colliding into each other, overlooking the brilliant blue ocean and a dazzling sunset. We had been sailing for weeks now, completely forgetting that reality ever existed. We were on our own, two lovers lost at sea, and we wanted it that way. His green eyes sparkled as they reflected the waves under us. His skin, hot and trembling on top of mine, and his hair, just about dry from having swam about an hour ago. His body smelled of sea salt and tasted just as good as I ran my tongue over the length of his stomach and chest.

He kissed me over my entire body, gently teasing me, warming me up for his entry. We worshipped each other like restricted temples, only allowing entry by the other person. We were completely secluded, where we could be ourselves and not have to worry about clients and founders and all the other bullshit of our lives. Where advanced technology was an illusion and the only thing that really mattered was whether he would tie me up this time or the other way around. I trailed my hands down my body, pretending they were his, as I imagined him slipping into me, and the joy on his face for having done so.

As if the timing couldn't be more perfect, the unmistakable sound of two quiet knocks came from my door. My eyes snapped open in anger at whomever woke me from my wet dream. _Should I answer?_ At this point, I would certainly be flustered, regardless of who was standing on the other side of the door. My heart began to flutter, but I couldn't be sure if that was due to my almost climax or the suddenness of the visitor.

I decided to at least go see who it was, hoping with all my will that it was the object of my affection. I threw a robe over my underwear and flitted downstairs to the door. I checked my reflection on the way down, noticing my tangled hair and my flushed cheeks. That was a hell of a daydream. After what I'd just thought up in my bedroom, I couldn't be sure whether Reality Edward was actually better than Imaginary Edward.

_Oh, who was I kidding?_

Of course he was.

I rushed over to the door and looked out of the peep hole. My heart jumped when I found myself staring at perfection itself, his green eyes pleading for me to open up. He was leaning against the wall with his elbow, his fingers twisting themselves behind his head. He looked at the door with frustration as the knocking came again. With shaky hands, I obliged.

My breathing quickened as the door swung open and I took him in. He straightened up, returning balance to his two feet.

"Mr. Cullen, is there something I can help you with at this hour?" I sputtered, hoping he wouldn't pick up on the nervousness in my voice.

"I'm really sorry to have woken you. It's apparent you don't wish to see me tonight, I've just got to know one little thing."

"Oh yeah? Something that couldn't wait until tomorrow?"

"I was only wondering why you didn't take my calls earlier," he continued. "If you didn't tonight, why would you tomorrow?" I was frozen about two feet into my loft, my feet wouldn't allow me to move closer to him.

I fumbled over my words, unsure of what to tell him. I didn't take his calls because I felt like I'd been cheating on him, like I'd stabbed him in the back. I wanted to end this relationship. I wanted to end the whole thing. I opened my mouth to say something, anything. Yet, I couldn't think of any worthwhile.

Right now, with him with so close, all I wanted was to rip those sweat pants right off his body and throw them in any random corner of my loft. My body longed for him. He rubbed his thumb over his forehead and ran his eyes over me, from my bare feet to the flushed look on my face. When that gaze met mine, he shook his head and whispered, "Bella, what were you doing before I knocked?"

Embarrassment flooded my already blushed cheeks. My open mouth snapped shut. "You certainly don't look like you were sleeping," he added, taking a step toward me. A violent tremor shook my body as my thighs quivered from under me. Edward's eyes lowered to the belt around my robe. He pulled at it with one finger and, as it fell open before him, he licked his lips in response to my matching Victoria Secret ensemble. His index finger traced a line down my stomach to the waistline of my underwear, leaving goosebumps in its wake.

In one quick motion, his finger slipped between my legs. A moan fell from my lips as he took another step toward me, bringing those perfect lips of his merely inches from my face and pushing his hand deeper in my panties. Two fingers dipped inside of me, the moment so intense that I fell into his chest and wrapped my arm around his shoulder to hold my balance. "Isabella Swan, were you masturbating?" he murmured next to my ear. His hot breath tickled down the skin on my back and chest. He forced us backwards and kicked the door closed behind us. "Or . . . is there someone else here?" He twisted his neck to look me in the face, those talented fingers leaving my body.

Without any other discussion, he stormed through my loft and up the stairs. I was dumbfounded by his immediate absence, but sprang into action when I noticed where he was going. "Edward! Wait! Don't go-" I shouted as I ran to my bedroom after him. He was already there, standing over my bed and staring at my toys. "Great! Are you happy now?" I threw my arms up in embarrassment, trying to hide my face.

He flashed me this sly, confident grin and turned to take a few steps in my direction. His body pushed mine against the wall and his head dipped to plant a small kiss on my neck. "Did you come?" he asked quietly, bringing my wrists to his chest.

"No, I didn't," I whimpered, a shiver finding its way down my spine and forcing me to shake under his grasp.

He laughed and nibbled gently on my earlobe. "What a disappointment," he teased as he reached over my shoulder to flick off the lights. "Allow me to make it up to you."

He spun me around and threw me across the bed faster than I could really comprehend what was going on. My feet hanging off the side and my heart pounding in my chest, I stared up at the Adonis of my dreams who was just about to finish what my mind had started earlier. "And how plan to do that? Wine and dine me? Add me to your little black book?" I stuttered, repeating the lines from our first conversation.

"If that's what you want." He sighed and climbed on top of me, prying himself in between my legs with his knees and bringing his face inches from mine. His finger traced a line down my cheek as a gentle kiss found its way to my lips. "What _do_ you want, Ms. Swan?" he muttered.

"Take me away, Edward," I blurted quietly, almost without meaning to. My fantasy was gnawing at me, begging to become a reality. I ached for it. All of it. The blue ocean, the sunset, the tiny boat. But most of all, him. I ached to be completely and utterly alone with him. I think I secretly wished to take him away.

"And where should we go?" He planted a soft kiss on my cheek and then pulled back to look me in the eyes.

"Anywhere, everywhere," I pleaded, rocking my hips into him. He pushed back, trapping his erection between our two bodies. I felt him rub against me, sending another shiver down my spine.

"I think I can manage that." He smiled and leaned down to press his lips against my again. "It's a promise."

With that he pushed his pants down, freeing the growing tension between us. His dick teased my opening, but his eyes never left mine and he didn't push in any further. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a condom, ripping it open and sliding the rubber over his twitching shaft. It was at this point that I wanted to tell him about being on birth control, but, as with the times before, a condom made me feel safer.

He brought his hands to my robe, pushing it down and off of my shoulders. I pulled my arms through the soft fabric so that I would have better access to his beautiful bronze locks, which I immediately took advantage of and entwined my fingers behind his head. My panties danced down my legs and off my feet, pushed by his soft, steady hands. He seemed so confident, so sure of himself. I was a nervous wreck. I always was around him.

"Tell me, Bella. Just what were you thinking about? What was it that made you this wet?" he demanded in a soft, playful tone.

He didn't wait for an answer. He surged into me, stretching me in utter bliss and forcing a series of moans from the depths of my throat. He spent no time preparing me, nor did he need to. I had been wet since I started thinking about us on that stupid, fucking boat. He nibbled on my ear lobe as he pulled out and then thrust into me again. I wrapped my legs around his waist, allowing him to plunge deeper into me. "Who was it, Bella?" he whispered again. I groaned at the sensations shooting through my body. "Tell me."

"You," I replied spontaneously. "Always fucking you."

What the hell did I just say? _Always fucking you?_ Did I really just let that slip? Oh god! I was in too deep. I had to end this soon. I was getting too involved. Our eyes met and I hoped that he wouldn't notice my mishap. Much to my dismay, he had noticed it, but he wasn't repulsed or turned off. Instead, he beamed down at me and smiled. I wrapped my arms around his neck as our bodies collided like I had envisioned earlier, like I wanted and needed and demanded from him.

His pace quickened, and my hands grew sweaty as I twisted them in my hair, assuming this was a dream and I would wake any second. Edward pushed himself off the bed and stood in between my legs, pulling me closer to him by my thighs. He reached to my right and grabbed a pillow, lifting my hips to throw it under me. He scrunched it until my hips matched his height. Then he was inside of me again and at a much deeper angle.

My eyes clamped shut with ecstasy and my mind seemed to shut out everything except the bliss, but Edward just continued to work on me. I felt my muscles tighten around him and I knew my limit was reached. Edward licked his thumb and then brought it to my clit, circling it in the manner only he could accomplish. Thirty seconds later, my world was turned upside down. I thought that the previous nights were spectacular; I had no idea what that could possibly mean. This particular night and this particular climax were utterly mind blowing. It seemed like things were just getting better and better with this man.

Edward's face tightened as his hands gripped onto my hips, and I knew he had obviously reached his own climax as well. He stood there for a few seconds, willing reality back into his senses. Once he had, he pulled out, disposed of the condom and fell down next to me on the bed. I moaned and turned my head toward him, pulling the pillow to my side. I was in a stupor, unable to move or think straight. Edward rolled to his side and grabbed my shoulder, pulling me into his chest. Nestling my head against his heart beat, which was now pounding against my ear, I sighed with relief. No one had ever made me feel how he did, and it seemed so effortless.

He traced his fingers up and down my back and planted gentle kisses on my forehead. "You didn't answer my question," he eventually murmured.

"What question?" I mumbled, halfway asleep. I inhaled his sweet, masculine scent and instantly felt calmed. Regardless of what our relationship meant professionally, I was in heaven right now; the best dream I'd ever had. I knew that I would struggle with this for the rest of my life, constantly second guessing what I should have done.

"Why didn't you answer my calls today?"

"Oh, I was just real busy," I managed to say, or at least attempted to say. I wasn't sure if my mouth actually formed the words, but I wanted to say that if it didn't actually make it out.

My thoughts trailed to my boat scene once more, except this time we were sleeping under the stars. He held me against his body, just like he did now, but the scenery would be a little different. Instead of white cathedral ceilings, there would be thousands of tiny white lights. The sounds of the street would be replaced with waves splashing against the boat. The shifting of his weight next to me would be replaced with the gentle rocking of the sea.

I hadn't noticed when Edward flipped me around on my bed, or even when he'd tucked the covers around me. What I did notice was the shifting in weight I talked about. Edward had stayed. Edward never stayed. There must be something he wanted to talk about. I decided that since he had stayed this long, he could wait a little longer and I rolled over on my stomach to fall back asleep.

My eyes reopened again around nine, and I instantly flipped over to see if Edward was still there. He wasn't, but there was a note on the pillow.

_"In the kitchen, come down when you wake up. -E.C."_

I flipped the note in my fingers a few times as I took in my ensemble. I had slept in my bra, but nothing else. I'm sure my hair was a mess, and I could smell last night's encounter radiating from my pores. I needed a shower before anything else. Climbing out of bed and tiptoeing over to my bathroom, I unsnapped my bra and threw it in the hamper. I switched on the lights and looked at myself in the full length mirror. Not only were there bruises on my thighs from when he'd pinned me against the table, but now, there were finger prints on top of it.

Good sex always left marks.

I sighed and turned on the hot water full blast, only adding a little cold to the mix. I loved the steam.

A few minutes into my cleansing, I heard the bathroom door shut. "Good morning, Edward," I greeted cheerily.

"Good morning, Bella. Did you sleep well?" he asked as he climbed into the shower behind me.

Turning around to face him, I replied, "Yes, actually. The best sleep I've had in ages. You?" I ran my hands over my head, draining it of excess conditioner.

He laughed and grabbed my washcloth from the railing, squirting it with some soap before rubbing together in his hands. "I don't sleep very much," he retorted, rubbing the soap all over my body. He started at my shoulders, and worked down my arms, then over my chest and stomach.

"Why not?"

He bent down to wash my legs and then stood, motioning me to turn around. He began scrubbing my back. "It's like I can't turn my mind off."

"I know the feeling," I sighed, turning around to face him once more. He handed me the washcloth, and then squeezed past me to get under the water.

"Can I ask you something? Did you get the William Dean account yesterday?" he asked bluntly, completely taking me by surprise. I gasped and dropped the washcloth between us. "It's okay that you did." He put his finger under my chin to close my gaping jaw. "He wasn't going to continue working with me." He kissed me on the forehead, indicating he really was okay with it.

And here it was. The moment that would define the rest of my life. I should have asked why. I should have been more skeptical. But I wasn't. I was too busy relishing post-coital-next-morning bliss.

"Yes, I did," I answered in as calm a tone as I could muster.

"Good for you. You'll do well, Bella." He leaned down and kissed me on the lips, before squeezing a little more soap washcloth on the for me. I rubbed it between my hands and then began scrubbing his beautiful chest. "Is that why you didn't want to speak with me yesterday?"

"Edward," I started, shaking my head sadly. Taking a sigh, I continued covering his body with soap and explained. "I think this is going to end badly for us, that's all. Either we get fired and all of this goes away," I said referring to my beautiful loft surrounding us, "or we break up, and all of this goes away." I shook my hand between us, gesturing to Edward and myself.

"Are you saying that you're afraid of me going away?" Edward picked up the shampoo and began running it through his hair.

"Not yet, but I don't . . . I don't want to be."

Edward's face was perplexed, searching for some hidden meaning in my face. When he found nothing, I assumed he thought of the next best thing to say. "Well, you can't live your life fearing every possible outcome. You could walk outside and get hit by a bus tomorrow, would it change anything? No, you're still dead."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"All I'm saying is that whatever happens is going to happen. We get fired, we'll run away to Bermuda. We break up, at least you'll still have your job."

"What if both were to happen?"

"There's always eHarmony and Monster dot com," he joked, rinsing the soap from his hair.

It was easy for him to say. If he got fired, Daddy's money still kept him afloat. If I got fired, I'd have one hell of a severance package, but I could never work again. "So, you're really not mad about Dean?" I reiterated, just to make sure my fears were completely unfounded.

"Bella, it's better you than some other asshole who doesn't know what he's talking about." Edward squeezed past me again, allowing me one more rinse in the water as he climbed out. When I was done, I turned it off and reached for my towel which I had placed on the hook next to me. I wrapped it around my body and walked back into the bedroom, where Edward was slipping back into his sweat pants and grey tee shirt he had worn over last night. "Come on. I made you some eggs." He shot me that sexy grin and headed down the stairs to my kitchen.


	5. Oasis

**Again, much love to my Betas, Jenny, Pam, and Rose! You guys rock my world. :-) I hope you enjoy and please don't forget to comment.**

_Chapter 5  
"Oasis"_

My eyes squinted in disbelief. What in the world was going on? Edward had stayed, and he didn't seem upset about Mr. Dean. To top it off, he had made me breakfast. I threw on a pair of jeans and a tee shirt before slowly heading down my stairs; my knees shaking violently under me. I looked around the corner and noticed one plate instead of two like I assumed there would be.

I walked over to the breakfast counter and pulled the stool from under the counter, slumping down on the dark wood just as he rounded the corner of the island and gave me a kiss on the side of the head.

"Can I ask you something now?" I asked, looking up to him as I wrapped my arms around his waist.

"Shoot," he answered, his hand trailing enticingly down my spine.

"Why is it that you don't seem to care very much about anything?"

"If I spent all my time worrying about how things were going to turn out, I'd never get anything done." He touched my nose with his finger in a very condescending way, then kissed my forehead and turned to leave. "I hope you enjoy your eggs. I've gotta go."

He left me alone in my apartment, bewildered and anxious. What the heck was his deal? If things were reversed, and I was in his situation, I would be acting like a toddler, throwing a temper tantrum rooted in jealousy. Yet, he seemed so calm and collected. I wondered if it was a front, if he was really falling apart inside, and I was tempted to jump out of my seat after him. I decided instead, to turn to my counter and take a bite into the eggs he had made for me.

Upon inspection, the contents in front of me threw my world into a frenzy. The eggs were scrambled with cheese melted on top and two slices toast sat on one side of my plate, the apple jelly already out to my left. I shook my head in confusion, blinking a few times at the coincidence. How did he know my favorite breakfast? How did he know how to cook my eggs?

I stood and walked to my purse, my hands shaking as I reached for my cellphone. I pushed Alice's speed dial and paced my living room until she answered. "You screwed him again, didn't you?" she immediately chirped.

"Of course I did," I sighed, nervously slumping on my couch and running my fingers through my damp hair before I continued. "Are you busy?"

"No, Jazz is having some friends over. Something about Final Four, or playoffs, or something. I don't know."

_"World Series, honey. Baseball, not basketball, not football,"_ Jasper shouted in the background, eliciting a small giggle from Alice.

"Baseball, Bella," Alice playfully corrected. "But no, I'm not doing anything."

"Good, I need a girls night. Wanna come over?"

"Aww. It's like we're six again. 'Wanna come over and play?'" Alice started laughing, making me feel even more vulnerable. "Sure, honey. I'll be over in a few minutes." With that, she hung up the phone and left me alone with my thoughts.

I sat on my couch and glared at the plate of food he had made me. One question plagued my thoughts.

_How did he know? How could he know?_

He remembered the apple jelly and everything. I clicked my fingers against my cellphone nervously, my mind reeling at the possibilities. It could have been a lucky guess. Suppose that it is his favorite breakfast as well. Suppose he just found the ingredients in my fridge and decided that would be the proper thing. If that was the case, why not sunny side up, or an omelet, or bagels for christ sake. Why scrambled? Why the cheese? Why apple jelly? Why not the grape jelly or strawberry?

And why was I being so fricking paranoid about it? Why were my internal "freak-out" sensors going haywire? Was my subconscious trying to tell me not to trust him or something?

I decided I would stop fretting about this and wait until Alice got here before I went crazy about it. I stalked over to the counter, picked up the plate of food he had prepared, and tossed it into my trash can. I would go without eating this morning.

Alice arrived about an hour later. She waltzed into my apartment, expecting some kind of explosive drama. When I'd told her the story, she furrowed her eyes and looked to the trash can. "That's the emergency? You're freaking out because he made you scrambled eggs?"

"With cheese! Alice! No one puts cheese in eggs unless they already know the person eating it will like it. And the toast? Why go out of the way to search for the toast when there are hashbrowns in the freezer? And most people put butter on their toast, Alice. Not Jelly! Especially not apple jelly," I exclaimed, pacing around my loft.

"Okay." Alice grabbed my shoulders and stopped me to face her. "Stop doing that. You're giving me motion sickness. Second, you need to calm down. You're freaking out about absolutely nothing. Christ, you're giving me a panic attack over here Besides, I think it's a fifty fifty split - some people do butter, some do jelly." Her eyes narrowed, and her face suddenly sprang to life. "I know what you need." She reached into her bag and pulled out her phone, dialing a number quickly as she turned toward my living room. "Jake! It's Alice. How are you, honey?" She called Jacob, my best friend and her gay half brother, the owner of "Oasis," a salon and spa a few blocks away. "I need an emergency visit. It's Bella." He must have said something raunchy because Alice laughed, called him a naughty boy, and hung up the phone. "Come on. We're going VIP today."

A few minutes later, we were walking into the lush surroundings of Jake's spa. A ginormous fake tree stood directly in the middle of the space; it's plaster branches and leaves intertwined throughout the ceiling and onto each floor. Jake walked through the middle, taking notice of Alice and I as soon as we'd closed the door behind us. She walked over to him and threw her arms around his neck.

"Hey there, baby brother," she cooed into his ear.

"Ally, it's good to see you." He looked up to me, seemingly stunned by my tense appearance. His jaw dropped. "Oh my." He gasped, bringing his hand to his mouth dramatically. "Bella? Is that you?" he exclaimed, taking a few steps toward me. "Girl, you need yoga." He rushed over and grabbed my arm, pulling me towards the back of the spa in a hurry. We went into the locker room in order to throw down our things and change into yoga garb and Jake explained that he had planned the executive treatment for us. This included, but was not limited to, a relaxing and muscle toning yoga session, an one hour massage followed by sauna time, hair treatment, waxing, and manicures. Alice was planning on taking me out tonight, hopefully to forget about Captain Telescope and his creepy breakfast psychic abilities, although I'm not entirely sure that this kind of sudden memory loss was possible.

Once inside the locker room, Jake sat down on the bench, leaned against the wall, and crossed his arms. "Spill," he demanded.

"Spill what?"

"Whatever it is that's turning you into a shrew."

"I'm not turning into a shrew!" I retorted, abashed that he had automatically went that far.

"Not so much as a smile since you walked in here. What? You're not happy to see me?"

"No. I am happy to see you. It's - just - this stupid man. I can't stop thinking about him."

"I figured as much," Jake added, picking at the dead skin around his cuticles. "Well? What did he do?"

"He's sort of - the competition," I said delicately, sliding out of my jeans to switch into the stretchy pants.

"It's Edward Cullen," Alice snorted as she took a sip of her water bottle.

Jake gasped and looked over to me in astonishment. "Fuck me sideways, Bella. He's gorgeous. Good Job!"

"He's a creep," Alice added.

"Our offices are right across the street from one another. We've been playing spy games," I explained, rolling my eyes at Alice and looking to Jake.

"What sort of spy games?" Jake teased.

"Oh - you know. The usual," I answered coyly.

"Enlighten me."

"Well - spy games of the - 'stripping-in-front-of-the-windows-oral-sex-in-a-public-elevator-rough-dining-room-table-sex' - variety."

"Whoa, holy secret agent fuck batman," Jake joked, allowing a loud chuckle to break through his lips. "Remind me not to come over to family dinners at your house."

I threw on my sports bra and my over sized tee shirt before continuing the story. "I've been fucking him for like a week or something, since Monday. He just shows up at my door . . . or my car. Last night, he shows up much later than he normally does and fucking spends the night." I paused to take in Jake's face, which was a strange mix of being astounded and being jealous. "This morning, he makes me my favorite breakfast. But the thing is, I've never told him how I like my eggs, or my biscuits. I did, however, tell him about stealing his client, and he didn't seem to care. He said it was better me than some other asshole."

Jake started laughing. "Well that's a lie, obviously. He cares more than he should, and that's the problem. I'm not sure how he knew to scramble your eggs, so to speak. But he cares about the client. He just doesn't want you to know he cares about it, and he definitely doesn't want you to know he cares about you."

"What do you mean, me?"

"Well he wouldn't have stayed the night if there wasn't a hint of affection for those pearly brown eyes. Men are men, gay or straight. No man stays the night unless he's too drunk to drive home, or he's got a reason to. Especially if they only live two floors up. What happened after he said that he didn't care? Did he leave?"

"Pretty much," I sighed.

"Well, I hope you've enjoyed the ride, love. I'd be surprised if he comes to you again." Jake stood, walked over to me and leaned against the lockers. "Men typically do not like to be one-upped by girls, least of all the competition. That's why you should do what I've spent years perfecting, ye olde nail and bail."

"I'm sorry, but getting a blow job by a drunk twink in the back of a filthy night club isn't exactly up my alley. Thanks for the suggestion," I prodded, looking up to Jake, whose face broke into a huge smile.

"Shrew." He winked and then turned to walk out of the locker room. "Yoga class in five minutes," he yelled as the door slammed behind him.

Alice flashed me a smile and then threw her bag into a locker, twisting the key off and wrapping it around her wrist. "Too bad he likes cramming it in other guys poopers, huh?"

"Alice!" I chuckled and nodded in agreement. Jake was beautiful; nice complexion, black silky hair, thick strong muscles. It was a damn shame that the other boys liked Jake as much as the girls did. They got to him first.

Jake had always been a part of our group, ever since we were in grade school. He was a few years younger than us, but he was the only real family Alice had. He quickly became one of my closest friends, outting himself to Alice and I before anyone else. I had always known it, but part of me wished it wasn't true. I would have married Jake if he had asked me. But that was years ago, our relationship was now typical of the average gay-guy / straight- girl.

Alice and I trudged out to the classroom, grabbed our mats before deciding to hide in the back row. We were probably the most uncoordinated people in New York City, and yoga demanded the balance of a feline. Most of the time, I fumbled my way through these classes. I hated them. But Jake demanded that we take them, saying 'they open the sexual recesses buried deep within our muscles.'

I say he's full of shit.

I couldn't wait to get out of here for that massage. That was more likely to open my sexual recesses than yoga, especially when Juan, the hot Spanish guy Jake was screwing six months ago, got his hands on me. Jake was a lucky boy for having nailed that fine specimen of man meat. His hands on my back nearly brought me to orgasm, I can't imagine what sex with him would be like.

Twenty five minutes into stretching and posing, Alice and I found ourselves in downward facing dog for much longer than I thought was even possible. "Dude, the blood is rushing to my head," I complained.

"That's sort of the point," Alice struggled to say, her face turning bright red from being upside down as well.

"I need some water."

"Hold on, we're almost done," she replied, encouraging me to stay put.

My arms were shaking, and my knees were just about to give out. The instructor told us to bring our feet between our hands and rise to tree pose. I did as I was told and brought my foot to my knee cap. "Namaste," the instructor whispered, announcing the end of the class. I was the first one out of that room, swearing that this would be the last yoga class I'd ever be forced to take.

We made our way to the massage area, just as Juan walked by and shot me a wink. "Hello Miss Bella."

_Heeeelllloooo Juan. _"Hi," I managed to squeak.

_Oh, Jake knows me too well._

Of course, he'd set me up with that Spanish wet dream of a man. I went in for my hour of bliss, making my way down the corridor to my room. I was just about to enter when a familiar face walked out of the room opposite mine. "Hello Ms. Swan," the soft voice greeted.

I looked up into the eyes of Mr. Cullen . . . the _original_ Mr. Cullen.

"Caar - " I gasped, shooting my gum to the back of my throat. I began coughing and wheezing, trying to force it back into my mouth. Carlisle slapped me on the back which jerked me forward and propelled my blue wad of Winterfresh through the air.

"Are you okay?" He patted my back a few more times.

"Fine." I coughed and grabbed my throat, meeting his gaze sheepishly. "What are you doing here?" He must have thought I was the biggest ass in the world.

"Ahh. My wife, Esme," he began. "She says I need to relax, so she bought me this two hour session with her masseuse." He gestured into the room behind him where another male, similar to Juan, was cleaning up the sheets. "I think she just likes to be rubbed down in oil by him. It was relaxing, but, between you and I, I'm not sure I'll be back," he joked, clutching onto his coat draped over his arm. I pushed a loose strand of hair behind my ear, and looked down to the ground, hoping he wouldn't notice my embarrassment. He gave me a gentle smile and turned to leave. "Take care of yourself, Bella. I'm sure I'll be seeing you around soon." He shot me a friendly wink and continued down the hall.

At first, I thought nothing of it. I turned into the room and Juan shut the door behind me. I undressed and climbed onto the table and under the towel. Twenty minutes into my massage, my mind started reeling with questions. Endless questions, endless possibilities. The first thing that took me off guard was the fact that he called me Bella. Then he'd winked at me and told me he'd _be seeing me around __**soon. **_My rational brain went to the immediate assumption. Edward had told his father what we were up too. Why would he do that? Did Carlisle honestly not care? Did Edward talk about _me_ with his parents?

Fuck! I think too much.

This unhealthy desire for him was nagging at me and I knew I needed to take it for what it was, just accept that it was purely sexual. He had no intentions of sweeping me off of my feet and/or taking me on the boat ride of my life. I had been living in a daydream this past week, and now it needed to end. I needed to wake up and smell the damn coffee.

Just then, Juan pounded his thumb into a knot on my shoulder. "Ow, fucker!" I shouted, balling my fists on the table.

Yeah, that woke me up.

"Shush! You are too tense, Miss Bella. Let me get this out," Juan protested as he dug deeper. "Are you thinking about that man you saw outside? He _is_ something, isn't he? Would have made me want to choke on his gum, if you know what I mean."

"Carlisle? Oh No! He's-"

"Everyone needs a sugar daddy, Bells. A bit too old for my tastes, but I don't judge." Juan moved down my legs and a few minutes later, told me to flip over.

He finished his massage without so much as another word. Alice was done shortly after me, which meant it was time for the sauna and hot tub. She walked through the heavy doors leading to the misty area and exclaimed, "Whoa! This just isn't hot enough for me," before walking over to the thermostat and pushing the temperature up. Stalking back to me, she grinned and plopped down on the bench at my side.

"How are you and Jasper doing?" I asked, hoping for any kind of distraction from my miserable situation.

"We're wonderful, actually." She folded her hands in her lap, and then looked to me coyly. "Can I tell you a secret?"

"I've been your best friend how long, and you still have to ask me that?"

"I think I'm pregnant," she murmured.

I started laughing, thinking she was joking with me. When I realized she was was being serious, my hands automatically flew to my mouth in surprise. "Oh Alice! That's wonderful! Congratulations." I threw my arms around her. She returned the hug, but then started crying on my shoulder.

"What's the matter?"

"I just don't think Jasper's ready for this. I don't think I'm ready for this. I mean, what if I'm not a good mother?"

"Mary Alice Brandon! You will be the best mother any baby could ask for. Look at how well you raised Jake and I." With that she started weeping harder. "What? That was a compliment, sweetheart. What's wrong now?"

"You're a mess! Jake's a mess! Christ, I'm a mess. I don't want my children to grow up like us."

I threw my arm over her shoulder and pulled her into my side. "Honey, you're already doing better than what we were given. You don't even remember your parents before they dropped you off at that orphanage. The fact that you're keeping it automatically sets you up for success. And, well, as for me, don't ever let Jasper leave you. That was the mistake my mom made. My dad told her to stop him, and she just stood there. She watched him leave, even though she had the power to stop it. And besides, you've got me. I'm always good as a second mom when you need a break." She started laughing and pulled away to wipe her eyes.

"God, you must think I'm the biggest wimp," she whined, looking around the room absentmindedly.

"No. Not a wimp. Just.. pregnant." I chuckled and gave her another hug. "How far along are you?"

"10 weeks. I just found out two days ago. I wanted to tell you, but they say don't tell anyone until three months. I figured this was close enough. I couldn't wait any longer."

"Well, whenever you want to go on maternity leave, just let me know. I'll have to find a temp, and it'll suck, but it'll be worth it," I explained, running my hands through my sweaty hair.

"Thank you, Bella," she sputtered. "It's great to finally have someone to talk to about this."

"I don't know why you didn't call me when you first suspected. I would have been there for you."

"I know, I just.. there are some things a girl needs to do for herself. Ya know?"

It suddenly struck me how true those words really were. Here, I had spent all this time waiting for him to come to me, and I hadn't even thought of going to him. He lived two floors above me, it couldn't be that hard to find out which door was his. Perhaps I could even persuade Mike, the boy at the front desk with a crush on me, to tell me which number it was. I would need to find him, end it, and move on with my life. I would install blinds on Monday, I would tell him not to come over. If he did, I would call the cops. I needed to be strong. I needed to pull myself through this, because damnit, Alice was right. There were some things a girl _needed_ to do for herself.

I knew there was no getting rid of Alice tonight, she had brought a duffle bag full of clubbing clothes, clean underwear, toiletries and pajamas. She was intending on spending the night, just like when we were six. But there was no telling where tomorrow would lead me.

I often forgot how much harder Alice's life had been compared to mine. She was abandoned by her parents when she was just an infant. The orphanage said that someone dropped her off in the middle of the night with nothing more than a note.

_Please take care of her. I can no longer keep her._  
_Name her Mary Alice Brandon, after my grandmother.__  
_

They left no name, no telephone number, and no money. Alice was taken in, of course, and raised there. The orphanage was able to file for a copy of her birth certificate and contact the biological mom. In no shape to care for a child, the orphanage kept her. Alice had never felt a desire to seek out a relationship with her real mother, and it wasn't hard to see why. A few years later, Jake showed up in almost the exact same scenario. He had a note with him as well.

_I can not believe this has happened again._  
_I pray that God has mercy on my soul._  
_His name is Jacob Black._

_It was only after they received his birth certificate that anyone realized Alice and Jake were siblings._

At the age of four, Alice was the mother figure for both of them. She felt very protective of her little brother, and it was no surprise why. In the rough life that foster care brings, Jake was lucky to have a built-in body guard. Alice never left his side from the minute she found out they were related.

They were both adopted by the Hale family when Alice was seven, and Jake was five. The Hales were extremely wealthy. The father was a doctor, and the wife, a wealthy novelist. They already had a daughter, Rosalie, but due to complications during child birth, they couldn't have any more. They longed for a big family, and decided to adopt the siblings, hoping to provide a better life than the orphanage. She came to my school on the first day of second grade and told me that she liked my fraggle rock lunch box. We've been inseparable ever since.

Rosalie was the typical spoiled child of a wealthy family. After Jake and Alice had moved in, she became no less humble. She hoarded her toys when she could, and refused to eat at the same dinner table with them for the first few years. Nothing was ever good enough, or decent enough, to be worthy of Rosalie.

Eventually, the time came when Rosalie suffered the bullies at school. Who can remember what they started fighting about, I'm not even sure Rosalie knows, but I remember seeing two girls push her into the mud and stalk over her body, like they were going to kick her to pieces. Alice and I saw it happening, and I wanted to keep walking, but there was such pain on Rosalie's face, and that struck a chord somewhere deep inside Alice. She had always felt an intense need to protect the people she loved, even if they didn't love her back.

Alice begged me to help. We ran over, and suddenly the bullies were out numbered. Alice and I got Rosalie up, and told the bitches to run away. They turned and slowly started to back off, but I remembered telling them to run, which they were _not_ doing. So Alice and I bent down, picked up huge handfuls of mud and threw it at them. That really got them sprinting. But the bitches went home and cried to their parents. Mr. Hale and my mother received very angry phone calls that night, and we were grounded for a while, but it was worth it. Rosalie never forgot it. She was a bitch to the world, a spoiled, selfish princess, but to us, she was a loving big sister. We had protected her for one day, but she protected us for the rest of our life.

She's another reason why I got the job at Dyco Tech. Being the buyer for one of our subsidiaries, she suggested me for the position when the opportunity came. I spent six years moving my way up, and now I ran the entire company, thanks to a job she suggested. Rosalie can be the hugest pain in the ass, the queen bitch of all bitches, but I owed most of what I was to her.

Alice and I spent a few minutes in the hot tub before Jake caught up to us again. "Are you guys still soaking? Christ, I told Lydia you'd be in her seat any second. Get out of the pool, get into the shower and then get into my salon before I go 'Queen of Hearts' on you," Jake joked, splashing us with water as he waddled out of our presence. "Off with their heads, off with their heads," he sang into the distance.

"Well, at least we know the bitchiness came from your mother," I teased.

"Ha ha," Alice mocked, as we jumped out and wrapped the towels around us, heading back to the locker room to shower.

I grabbed my toiletry bag and walked into the first available private shower that actually had a lock. I told Jake to switch the rest of the curtained ones over to doors, but he said that would be too expensive, and most of the women didn't seem to care. He suggested I take my snooty ass and find a different spa if it was that damned important.

Alice growled when she realized I had taken the last one with a door, and then she scooted into the curtained shower next to me. "Do you feel any better about Edward?" she finally asked.

I snorted. "Yeah, right. I'm more confused now than I was when I got here. But, I've decided that it does need to end, and that I need to be the one to do it. I've got to stop this before it gets out of hand."

"Yeah, you should pretend to be all uninterested, and then, when he comes begging, you'll have the pleasure of kicking him in the gonads," Alice replied, busting out into a boisterous laugh.

"I_ am _uninterested," I lied.

"Yeah, you certainly seem like you are," Alice chided sarcastically. Bitch could always see right through all of my bullshit. I rolled my eyes and washed the sweat from my pores, already feeling a million times better.

"So, we're definitely going out tonight, right?" I asked, attempting to change the subject.

"Oh yeah! I've already called the Red Room and cleared our table. We've got VIP access, and it's Saturday night, so there's bound to be some action." Alice laughed a little and then turned her water off.

I finishing rinsing the rest of the soap from my body and walked out of my shower, wrapping my towel under my shoulders. "The Red Room? Don't you think that's a little too 'upscale' for a girl's night?"

"Only if you're looking to leave it as a girls night."

"Hey, you're a mommy now. No more messing around, Mrs. Almost Whitlock."

"I didn't mean me, honey. We're going to scope you a nice piece of one night stand," Alice chirped, smacking my ass as she scooted by.

"I think a nice piece of one night stand is the last thing I need right now," I protested, taking a swig of my water bottle.

"Really? Because I think it's exactly what you need. A friendly little poke to remind you who you are, and to make you forget about him. I see someone dark in your future."

"Dark?"

"Yeah, black hair, brown eyes, olive skin. Latin or Italian or something there of."

"Well, you've got my number, huh? I love a man with an accent."

"Definitely no amazing, mesmerizing emerald eyes in your future," she continued. "Just a little "Ciao, Chiquita," and one big cock. Or two, if you're feeling up to it."

I sighed at just how perverted my best friend really was.

"I'm serious, Bella! Throughout high school, everything you did was to prepare you for college. Everything in college prepared you for Grad School, and Grad School got you here. When was the last time you really lived it up? Got wild? Bella, it's been ages." Alice continued blabbering about how Jake was right, I was turning into a shrew, and, then she added the fact that a handsome, young, stud, seven or so years my younger would charge me up again, and then, I wouldn't care about this Cullen bastard anymore.

Maybe she was right. Perhaps a night out would set my mind straight.

Due to the length of time it had been since I had anyone touch my hair, Jake insisted that he handle it personally. He spun me around in his chair, stepping on the peddle to bounce me higher and higher into the air. "Oh god, Bella. You've got more dead ends than Sidney Kingsley."

"Okay, let's keep the broadway references to a minimum," I pleaded, causing Jake to poke me in the sides.

"So, tell me about life in espionage. How was the sex?" Jake continued as he pulled the hair on either side of my face.

I sighed and covered my face. "It was amazing. Absolutely the best sex I've ever had."

"Ever?"

"Possibly. Do you remember that slutty period I went through sophomore year of college?"

"Bella, I think everyone at James' frat party remembers that slutty period you went through sophomore year," Jake teased, recalling my brief foray into stripping. I'd gotten too wasted, climbed on top of the frat's dining room table, and danced around to "Shoop" by Salt N Peppa. It was only after I'd take off my shirt and unsnapped my bra to shoot it across the room that Jake pulled me out of the spotlight.

I rolled my eyes at the memory. It was one of those things I wished I could forget. Why wasn't I blacked out for that period? All the nights I wish I could remember, and that's the one that's crystal clear. I shrugged and continued with my point. "You know that boy I slept with that year, oh god, what was his name? Ryan something."

"Ryan Thomas."

"Right!" I agreed, but stopped, giving Jake an incredulous look. "How'd you know that?"

"Danced right out of the closet two years after this incident you're about to bring up."

"Of course he did," I answered in a sarcastic tone. "Were you the first boy he kissed?"

"Of course I was," Jake replied, mocking my tone. He chuckled as he went to work on my cut. He knew the right thing for my face, so I didn't even have to give him direction. I knew he would never take it too short, nor would he layer it incoherently. Jake was a master when it came to my hair, probably because he had been cutting it since he was twelve.

"Well, up until Monday night, Ryan Thomas was absolutely the best sex of my life. The boy was a master."

"Still is," Jake added.

"Ryan has nothing on Edward. It was like his body fit mine perfectly. Like a puzzle piece. His cock hit my g spot every time he entered me."

"Ew . . . gross." Jake's face scrunched at the mention of my girly parts.

"I listen to you talk about the size of the load you blow in some of these boy's mouths. You can listen to me talk about how perfectly shaped this man's johnson is," I chastised.

"I want to hear everything about the shape of his johnson, just leave your g spot out of it."

I rolled my eyes and continued to explain how wonderful my experiences had been. I told him how this series of extravagant events had started in my elevator and he only lived two floors above me, then he'd ravaged me in my car the next night; I told Jake everything. I was spitting things out a mile a minute, trying to get everything I knew in the open so that he could help me figure out what the fuck to do.

He had finished cutting my hair and had moved onto plastering in low lights and tin foil. Jake said that he was going to add in a nice auburn to accent my chocolate brown hair. It did nothing for changing my the color, but added a ton of depth to the otherwise dull tint my locks had taken on. I blame my father for that. My mother's hair is a gorgeous shade of dark blond.

"Well, if you ask me, I think Alice is right. You need to go out tonight and find a beautiful distraction to take your mind off this fucked up scenario."

"I don't think that adding to the madness is a good idea," I protested once sitting in the activation chair.

"You'll be taking your mind off the situation. Another boy is just the thing." Jake touched my nose and turned to walk away from me.

"Jake, another boy is definitely not 'just-the-thing,'"I retorted.

"I'm gonna go check on my sister." He winked and then took off towards the front of the building. I sighed and leaned back in the chair, thinking that both of them were absolutely wrong. A pretty boy is not what I needed right now. A pretty boy was what got me into this situation to begin with. I didn't need any more Y chromosomes screwing my life three ways to Sunday.

Sometimes, I think Jake had it right. Perhaps dating your own sex was the way to go. I contemplated that for a second, but was brought back to reality by a woman screaming at Jake's assistant manager about how her hair had turned out horrible. It looked alright from where I sat, so the bitch was probably PMSing or something.

On second thought, Jake did have it right.

Women were insane. Best stick to men.

Jake came back a few minutes later and washed the dye out of my hair, blow drying and styling me into a dazzling sight. He handed me over to nails and waxing, which were both equally as painful. Most of the time, I thought manicurists were sadists. There's nothing more annoying than when they clip the cuticle down too far, leaving you in pain for the rest of the week. The little guy that Jake handed me off to did a wonderful job, he barely pinched a nerve. My fingers and toes looking fabulous, he pulled me into the waxing room. Legs, Armpits, Brows, and Bikini Line.

Legs were not that bad, the arm pits hurt a little bit, and I was used to having my brows done. But I'd never had a bikini wax before, and to be honest, I was a little scared. I tended to stick with the bic because I've heard that the first time is excruciating, but Alice insisted this was the only way to do it.

Wayne, the little Asian guy, dipped his applicator into the wax, and wiped it on the stripe. He laid out the fabric, pressed his fingers over it a few times, and I knew it was coming. He grabbed onto my hips with one hand, the strip with the other. "Okay, breath deeply," he suggested.

I inhaled and HOLY FUCKING MERCILESS SHIT. It hurt like nothing else I've ever experienced. He pulled it off quickly, and then replaced it just as quick. "One, two, three!" He pulled again. I squealed and the next time he went to put the strip back on again, I smacked his hand out of the way.

"Are you trying to kill me, heathen?" I blurted before I even realized I had.

"Bella, it's better if I do it fast like a band aid," the poor guy pleaded.

I groaned, but continued to protect my genitals.

"Should I call Jake?"

"No!" I shouted instinctively. "No, you can finish." I relaxed back onto the table, and allowed the torture to continue. I would kill Alice for not properly preparing me for this portion of the day. When he was finished, I wobbled out of the room and looked at Alice and Jake, who were anxiously awaiting my return from Mr. Miagi's House of Pain. I had been wrong about Wayne, he was a sadist. But he didn't get his rocks off on nails and pedicures. Oh no. He preferred hot, steaming wax!

"I hate you both," I groaned as I wobbled back to the locker room in order to grab my things. "Women actually pay for that every month?" I asked in disbelief as I made my way up the stairs.

"If you come more often, it won't hurt as much. Like your eyebrows," Alice suggested.

"Hrmpft," was my only reply. I managed to make it back into the clothes I'd worn over here and, once changed, I grabbed my purse and reached into the bottomless abyss for my cellphone. I pulled it out and realized it was already close to five. We had spent the entire day here. "Are you hungry yet?" I finally asked Alice.

"Oh my god, starving. Let's go to that little Mexican place across the street. I'll ask Jake if he wants to come." Alice bounded out of the room, gesturing for me to follow behind her.

Jake had a few more things to tidy up at the spa, so he wasn't able to go with us to lunch, but he said he'd pick us up later for the Red Room. It would be just like old times, and I was growing more excited by the minute. I would relish in the debauchery the three of us usually got into, and tonight, I was planning on getting blitzed. I would be in a state so far beyond drunk, it would put my Irish lush of a grandfather to shame.


	6. The Red Room

**A/N: Again! I am floored by the response I get from this story. Keep em coming ladies. I love to hear from you. Once again, awesome shout outs go to my betas. You two rock my world like no one's business. :-) **

_Chapter 6_  
_"The Red Room"_

Around seven, we headed back to my loft to prepare for tonight. Alice had brought a flashy, golden spaghetti strap top and black dress pants. She was hoping, to wear my Gucci heels, but had brought a pair of stilettos just in case I said no. She picked out a dark blue halter top for me, and a flowy gray skirt that fell just above my knees in the front, but dropped to my heels in the back. The skirt had been tailored just for me, and made my ass look stellar. Alice said that would be all I needed for tonight. I opted to allow Alice the privilege that is Gucci, and decided on my knee high boots, seeing how Edward was so fond of them.

My stomach rolled at the thought of his name. Butterflies flitted their way up my esophagus, and I was pretty sure I was headed for an early vomiting episode. Alice walked back into my bedroom, having just attached the last of her earrings. "Oh, what's wrong now? We went to the spa today to banish all of these bad emotions. Didn't the yoga open the sexual recesses trapped in your muscles?"

I looked to her with sheer anguish. "I'm nervous."

"About what?" She threw her arms out to the side in frustration.

"I've just got a bad feeling about tonight," I sighed, shaking my head. "Like something I don't want to happen is going to."

Alice rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "Come on. We're taking care of this right now." She dragged me down the stairs to my kitchen and grabbed the vodka out of my top cabinet. She poured two shots on my counter and lifted one to my face. "You'll be feeling right as rain in a few minutes."

I did my shot and downed the other before Jake beeped through. "Chicas! I'm downstairs. Let's go! Don't have all night," he demanded.

"You look gorgeous; are you ready?" Alice chirped, grabbing onto either side of my shoulders. I nodded hesitantly as she pulled me out of my loft. I was half expecting Edward to be waiting in the elevator when it opened, but to my dismay, it was empty. _Of course it was__,_ rational Bella thought, _It's not like he rides the elevators all night, waiting for you._

Alice and I rode the few seconds down to the lobby and attached arms with Jake to walk outside. We took a cab uptown to the Red Room, and once there, we walked up to the guy at the rope. We flashed our ID's, to which he smiled and let us through. There were hundreds of people lined up to get in and, thanks to Jenks, we were allowed VIP treatment. He owned this property, in addition to several others in the immediate area having taken to real estate investments after his retirement. The greedy bastard.

The lights were flashing and the temperature was already through the roof. The beat thumped through my body, causing wild vibrations in my chest. We headed up the stairs on our right, and the rope was once again pulled away for us. We went to our table at the far wall, the one typically reserved for Dyco Tech personnel. It wasn't long before Jessica and her assistant, Angela, found their way to our table as well.

We started with a round of drinks. I ordered a Vodka/Cranberry, seeing as tonight was just about getting drunk, and I saw no reason why I shouldn't take advantage of my pregnant, sober friend who'd dragged me here. She failed to realize that she'd also be responsible for getting me home.

Alice and Jake went to work on scoping out the best looking men for me, as I went to work slurping back my beverage. About an hour into our clubbing event, I started to feel the effects of my four drinks and endless shots. I looked over the railing at the pandemonium below, when a glint of green and purple light flashed off a very familiar face on the other side of the second level balcony. As soon as I spotted him, I slumped in my seat and put my hand over my face, cowering back toward Alice.

"Alice!" I shouted, tapping her arm violently.

"How about him?" She pointed to a slender blond kid who had just entered the club.

"I don't know about Bella, but . . . he is definitely up my alley. Excuse me, ladies." Jake waved at Jessica and Angela to get up so he could get out of the booth. He shot a wink at our table and then raced down the stairs so that he didn't lose his new found beauty.

"ALICE!" I shouted louder.

"Christ! What?" She jumped and looked at me.

"He's here," I whimpered.

"Who?"

"Who?" I smacked her arm harder. "Who. Do. You. Think!"

She looked at me with furrowed brows, obviously more confused than ever, so I secretly pointed to the other side of the balcony.

Alice's eyes lifted and looked around suspiciously. She gasped when she finally realized who I had meant. "What the hell is Edward Cullen doing here?"

"I knew this was a bad idea. I'm going home." I stood to leave, but was instantly pulled back down by Alice's freakishly strong little fingers. "Ow!" I yelped, rubbing the spot on my arm where she had grabbed.

"Listen to me! You look beautiful, possibly the hottest you've looked in a decade," Alice started. I put my finger up to remind her of one other time I'd been hotter than this. She rolled her eyes and agreed with me. "With the exception of that Maxim cover shoot you did two years ago. Because . . . damn, honey . . . even I would have fucked you on that little white sofa."

Jessica and Angela started giggling to themselves, partly due to Alice's comment and partly due to a cute guy who had sat down in the next booth.

"But, tonight, you look radiant. Let him see you here. Let him be jealous of any man who hits on you. Let him eat his creepy little heart out." Alice yanked me closer to her and pushed my drink in my direction. "And you are not going anywhere until I see you dance with someone who is not the CEO of our number one competition. Bella, this has to end. You know it does."

Alice was right. I slumped down in my booth and lazily took a sip of my vodka cranberry, realizing I had already finished my fifth glass. The waitress came around again, so I ordered another as she smiled and walked away.

"What about him, Bella?" Alice pointed to a much taller brunette heading up the stairs in our direction. "He's got some potential."

I winced at the sound. Potential. I didn't want anything with potential. I wanted perfection, and I already knew where I could find that. He was sitting approximately fifty feet away from me. "Yeah, he's like twenty one, Alice. I'm an old hag compared to him."

"Isabella Swan, you don't look a day over twenty. Now, get up and go over there." Alice nudged me closer to the edge of the seat.

"No, Alice," I protested.

"Go!" Alice pointed her finger like a drill sergeant, demanding I get up and go talk to the cute guy two tables down. I begrudgingly stood, fixed my dress and gave Alice the finger before sauntering over to the table where the brunette sat. I tapped him on the shoulder, and, startled, he looked up to me with perplexed eyes.

"Don't look, but my friend behind us is a little shy. She thinks you're gorgeous." I pointed back to Alice and stood to walk away. It didn't take him five seconds to fling himself out of his booth and practically sprint toward my pregnant best friend. Suppressing a laugh, I walked down the stairs to find the waitress with my drink.

I caught up to her at the lower level bar close to the entrance, chuckling with the bartender while she held her tray full of drinks in her left hand. I smiled at her and she offered my Vodka/Cranberry before turning for the stairs, I assume to bring the rest of my table their drinks as well. I faced the dance floor and leaned against the bar with one arm, my sweet elixir in my other hand.

Stealing a glance at the upper level where Alice, Jessica and Angela sat, I started chuckling to myself because Alice had actually invited the brunette to sit down while she showed him her engagement ring. She must have told him that she sent _me _over for a reason, she was actually engaged and currently had a bun in the oven. Jessica, on the other hand, seemed to take a liking to him, which wasn't necessarily a surprise. She tended to like anything with a cute smile and a dick.

That's when I focused my attention to the other side of the building, discreetly taking a peek at the spot where I saw Edward a few minutes ago. Much to my dismay, he was now standing at the edge of the balcony with his hands outstretched on the railing in front of him, looking around the club with squinted eyes, like he was confused. I turned my back to him immediately, hoping he hadn't picked me out of the crowd. Just in case he had, I headed behind the stairs to the far wall and hastily went to hide in the corner.

It's not that hiding was my typical thing to do, nor did I find it admirable in any case. But I couldn't risk seeing him again, especially since the vodka was now starting to catch up to me. Too much, too quick I'm afraid. I was having a hard time putting one foot in front of the other.

Being as drunk as I was, the only thing I would have wanted to do in that moment would have been to rip those extremely expensive looking clothes off his tight little body, twist my fingers in his hair and take him right in the middle of the fucking dance floor. And I knew that was the exact opposite of what I needed to do.

I needed to end this.

The relationship, emotionally and physically, had to be over, and for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to do it. That was what scared me the most of all. I'd never been afraid to end a relationship, never been afraid to break a man's heart into a million little pieces. But, with Edward, I was a dumbstruck, tongue-twisted, pipsqueak - which made things a million times more frightening.

As I crept halfway through the club, I looked up to him again. He was gone.

_Damn Damn Damn. _

He must have seen me.

I twisted my neck further to see where he had gone only to find that my efforts were in vain. He had disappeared into the crowd. I took another step and hit something hard - really hard - and that sent me toppling forward, spilling my drink all over my victim. When I looked up to see what said hard-thing was, all I saw was the bewildered face of Jacob Black and the young blond he took off after.

"Oh god! Oh. I'm so sorry!" the blond squealed as he stood to help me up.

I reluctantly grabbed his hand, even though I knew where it had just been, and winced at the situation I literally stumbled upon. I shot a grimace Jake's direction who immediately, and unrelentingly, returned my glare. He grabbed the blond by the back of the neck and turned his back to me, pulling his twink to the side so he could, I assume, continue his passionate sex-capade in a dark corner at the back of the club.

_Of course, _I thought sarcastically. _How silly of me to have tripped on you, blond stranger sucking my best friend's dick. Perhaps I should be more careful next time. _

I slowly turned to walk away from Jake before I punched him in the face, only to find myself wrapped into the arms of another awkward encounter.

"Hello there," came the velvet voice. I felt my heart melt and my knees almost give out from under me.

I gasped and before I knew it, "God, hello," anxiously fell from my lips.

"You look..." Edward ran his eyes over me, shaking his head in disbelief. "There are no words."

"Well, thank you," I replied, a faint burn coming to my cheeks.

_Fuck! _

I was blushing.

If I didn't want him to know how flustered he made me, I had better get real serious, real quick. "Mr. Cullen, can I ask you something?" I began playfully before my tone grew angry. "Are you stalking me?"

"Are you stalking me?" he asked in return.

"My boss owns this club."

"I've had reservations for three months," he retorted.

"And where's the rest of your party?" I turned to look at the table he once was sitting at alone. Now, it appeared, several of his colleagues had joined him, including his pretty blond assistant.

I was a little abashed when I looked back to him so I stuck the straw of my drink between my lips and sucked, just to have something to do with my mouth so I didn't say something else stupid. Then, I remembered that I'd just spilled my seven dollar Vodka concoction all over Jake's crotch, so that option was completely pointless.

He chuckled and then tapped my glass with his index finger. "How many of those have you had tonight?"

"A few," I joked, attempting to lighten the mood.

"How are you feeling?"

"Delightful," I retorted, shaking the empty glass in my hand. "Now, if you'll excuse me. Drinks don't refill themselves." I nodded in farewell and whispered, "Mr. Cullen," before moving around him to find the bar where the waitress had opened my tab.

As I passed, Edward grabbed onto the top part of my arm and positioned himself behind me. His thumbs rubbed over the skin at the top of my dress, sending a shiver through my entire body. My breathing hitched, my heart fluttered, and damned if my traitor knees didn't almost give out on me. Just a simple, stupid touch was enough to drive me wild. This was the moment when I knew I was in too deep with this man, already had too many feelings for him. He leaned down and brought his lips next to my ear. "You've probably had enough, wouldn't you agree?"

"On the contrary," I protested, again trying to move away.

"How were your eggs?"

"Cold," I snapped.

"I'm sorry. Next time, I'll plan accordingly."

I breathed deeper and quicker, taking a sip of my ice to try to calm myself down. Turning to face him, I broke his hands from my arms and brought my gaze to meet his. God damn, those eyes were piercing and they saw right through me. "Mr. Cullen, I'm sorry. But - there can be no next time, nor should there be. We've gone too far in just one week." I closed my eyes and shook my head, as if I didn't even agree with the words spewing out of my mouth. "I simply can not risk my job, my reputation, or my life to fraternize with the likes of you."

Almost like he was protesting, he took another step closer and leaned down, placing his lips inches from my neck. "I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you over the music. What did you say?" His hot breath trickled down my skin, leaving goosebumps in its trail.

Looking up at me with those magnificent green irises made everyone else in the club disappear. It was just us, him and I, all alone in this huge space. He brushed his finger down my shoulder, over my clavicle and back up my neck, resting it on the right side of my jaw, close to my ear. My heart pounded in my chest, the rhythmic throbbing radiated throughout the very core of my being, and all I wanted to do was to take those plump, perfect lips and press them against mine, mold them until we fit together like puzzle pieces.

"I . . . um . . ." I stuttered, looking to the ground between us. I tried to refocus, to make the words reappear, but it seemed all I could think about was parking out next to Jake and going down on this man until the club closed. I wanted that sex from last night, I wanted his hair between my fingers, I wanted his cock buried deep inside of me. Christ! _What the fuck did I want to tell him again? What was I saying? _I couldn't even remember anymore. "Fuck off, alright? I don't really remember what I said. But I'm pretty sure it was something to do with not wanting to risk my job just to have sex with you."

He must have realized he had me right where he wanted me because he shot me a confident, shit-eating grin and leaned down to take a whiff of my drink. "Vodka makes you feisty, huh?"

I in turn grabbed his glass and brought it to my nose. "And Johnnie Walker makes you ballsy. What did you hope to accomplish by coming over to me tonight?"

He grinned and slowly dragged a finger down the side of my cheek. "This morning, you asked me why I don't seem to care about anything. I wanted to give you my answer."

"Which is?"

"Well - it simply isn't true. I do happen to care about my family's business - a lot, quite frankly, and losing Dean was a tough set back. But that's all it was, a momentary set back." Edward sighed and pushed a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

"Do you feel better now that we've had our little Dr. Phil session here? I've got to go, my friends are waiting." I was feeling really good about myself. I had managed to hold my own, even though I couldn't exactly remember everything I wanted to say.

"Your friends look preoccupied," he whispered, gesturing to Jake who had his hand wrist deep in the blond's pants.

"What do you want from me, Mr. Cullen? You've had your fun-"

He sighed and then looked around hesitantly. "Why do you think that I want anything from you? Have I ever say anything to make you think that I want something from you that you don't also want from me?"

"I don't know. I don't know anything about you," I replied. I paused to think of how to continue. "I do know that you are my enemy, professionally anyway. Yet you work right across the street from me. You magically show up at my complex one night, having leased a loft a few floors up from mine. You've freakishly guessed my favorite breakfast. Your father calls me Bella. I just, I don't know what you're trying to get at. It's like you know everything about me already and I just met you a few days ago. Like this is all just a part of your big, master plan to, I dunno, take over my life." I hoped that somehow made sense. The heat radiating off of him was driving me crazy, and I was having a hard time forming coherent thought processes.

"That's very intuitive, Ms. Swan." His face looked worried for a few seconds before a feral gaze returned to his eyes. "Do you dance?"

His question took me off guard, it had nothing to do with anything we were talking about. "What?"

Before I could say anything else, he wrapped his arm around my waist and brought my right hand into his. "You see, the thing about dancing, at least for you, the female, is that you don't have to be in control of anything. You just have to give up, give into the music, trust me to lead you in the right direction. All you have to do is follow." As he pulled me closer to his torso, I caught a huge whiff of pure Edward. It was a masculine, sweet smell that was distinctly him, and instinctively attractive. My knees wobbled under me as I wrapped my arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer.

Before I knew it, we were dancing in the back corner of Red Room. I hadn't exactly said it was okay, but I hadn't stopped it either. My mind was constantly at odds with itself. I'd never known anything more powerful than this gravitational pull I felt towards him, yet my world was at stake if anyone found out about this. The dance floor buzzed around us, the gentle vibrations of thumping music echoing off every crevice.

I instantly started to giggle when I realized exactly what was playing. "Are we really slow dancing to Britney Spears?"

He pulled away and smiled, before leaning in to give me a gentle kiss on the lips.

"There you are!" a high pitched voice chirped from my right. I jumped a little from the interruption and pulled my arms to my side. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but Jasper just called. His mother is in the hospital. I'm so sorry, Bells. I've got to go." She eagerly looked between Edward and I. "Will you be okay getting home?"

I went to say something, but Edward spoke first. "I'll make sure she's safe."

"I'm sure you will," Alice uttered under her breath. "Edward Cullen, I presume, A pleasure." She eyed him from head to toe before looking back to me. "Is this okay with you, Bella? I could have the cab drop you off on the way to my place. I need to stop and get my things anyway."

"Well, you have a key, Alice. I'm sure I can take care of myself. I hope Momma Whitlock is alright." I gave her a hug and I could feel her face tighten behind me, like her eyes were shooting daggers in Edward's direction. After we said our final goodbyes, I shouted "call me tomorrow" and she took off to leave.

I returned my attention to Edward, who threw his arm around my shoulder and kissed me on the side of the head. "I have a confession to make," he whispered. I brought my hands to his chest and looked into his eyes as he continued. "I'm in desperate need of a coffee. Would you like to go some place a little quieter with me?"

I nodded, allowing a small giggle to break through my lips. Edward and I made our way through the crowd toward the entrance and, once on the street, I walked to the sidewalk to catch a cab. "Actually, I wouldn't mind walking, if that's okay with you. It's only ten blocks or so to this little coffee shop I like to go to. They have cookies that will make your head spin."

"Wonderful," I answered, not entirely sure my head could spin anymore than it already was. He held out his hand for mine, and I obliged as he pulled me in the other direction.

He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him as we walked. The first few minutes were awkwardly silent, but then he finally decided to talk first. "I was raised in a relatively small house, compared to what we could have afforded. I have a brother, Emmett; he's a few years younger than me. I went to college, moved on to grad school, and then went to work for my dad. It wasn't much of a choice, it was always what they assumed I would do. I go to work, I come home, and I go to bed. Sometimes, I work out, sometimes I draw, and other times I paint."

I shot him a confused look and shook my head. "What are you talking about?"

"You said you didn't know anything about me. That's who I am, more or less." He shrugged as we stopped on a corner and waited for the light to change.

"Alright," I pressed my hands to his chest and looked up to him with a vengeance. "Why did your dad call me Bella?"

"When did you see my father?"

"At the spa today. Your mother booked him a massage, or so he said. He called me Bella, and then said he'd be seeing me around, soon. You told him about us, didn't you?"

We began walking again as a smile smeared across Edward's face. "Much to your dismay, my sex life has never been a proper discussion in my parent's presence."

"Edward, I've known the man professionally for six years. He's never referred to me by my first name. What's going on?"

"I'm not a mind reader. I don't know why my father says the things he does."

"Well, aren't you worried about what will happen when he finds out?"

"Finds out about what?"

"My point exactly. Just what exactly are we doing here, Edward? Are we attempting a relationship? Are we just fuck buddies? Or should we limit it to a part time affair? Do we keep it secret, do we expose it? What will our bosses think? What will the media do with this? Or was Alice right? Is this just about sex? I'm not sure I care either way, but I need to know exactly how much of my profession I'm putting on the line here." I was out of breath by the time I'd stopped to think about what I just blurted.

Edward stopped walking, which, in turn, caused me to stop and look up at him. I went to say something else, but he surprised me by leaning down to plant a passionate kiss right on my lips. "Stop talking," he whispered once he'd pulled away. "We're here."

We went into a swank, somewhat tiny, little place on the corner of the street. They had a few plastic booths lined up and down the wall, and a huge glass case of desserts as soon as you walked in the door. Edward walked to the counter and ordered a coffee for himself, then asked what I wanted.

"A water's fine," I answered, walking down to the end booth before sliding into the side facing the entrance. Edward sauntered over a few minutes later and sat down opposite of me, shooting a gorgeous smile just for me.

"If you're so worried about all of that, why do you continue to see me?" he asked, shuffling his hands in his hair.

"I tried to ignore you, remember? And you showed up at my door in the middle of the night anyway. Tell me how to stop seeing you."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because you haven't asked nicely."

"Please tell me how to stop seeing you, because I fucking see you _everywhere."_

"No," he corrected. "You haven't asked to stop seeing me - _nicely."_

"Please stop stalking me," I replied.

"I don't believe you," he continued. "Do it with sincerity."

"Stop stalking me," I continued, this time with a little more forcefulness. "Now!"

"There ya go! Way to use the CEO voice. I still think you're full of shit, but you gave it the good, ole' fashioned college try. It was a valiant effort."

"I'm really just a coward," I finally admitted. "I can't bring myself to end it with you, much to my dismay. I've tried, several times, but the words just don't fucking come out. It's only been a week, but it's been one hell of a week." I felt blood well to my cheeks as the embarrassment of what I just said finally hit my brain.

"Wow, vodka's like your little truth serum, isn't it?" He leaned across the table and stared intently into my eyes.

"You've hit the head right on the.. nail..." I attempted to say. Wow! I'd really had way too much to drink.

After a few seconds of examining me and my intoxicated state, Edward smiled and ran his hand over the back of his head. "Well, I wouldn't call our situation a relationship, as you yourself said we couldn't let anyone know about it. That sort of defeats the point of relationship, doesn't it? You can't really date someone you can't be seen out in public with. I agree with you on that aspect, you're absolutely right. However, I find myself in the same predicament. I want to have my career, and eat it too, apparently," he joked, eliciting a small chuckle.

The waitress brought our drinks over, along with two chocolate chip cookies the size of saucers. "Wow, that's a huge fucking cookie." I inadvertently snorted.

"It's a delicious fucking cookie. Here, try some." He broke off the corner and brought it to my mouth. He was right, that was the best damn cookie I'd ever eaten. Taking a sip of his coffee, he looked out the window beside us and sighed. "I also agree that what we need is some kind of structure, some way to organize and categorize what we've been doing. We can't continue at this pace and expect it to remain a secret. What say you to an affair?"

"Ahh.. Ye Olde Affair. In my experience, affairs rarely turn out well for the couple involved. Romeo and Juliet, Jane and Mr. Rochester, Rose and Jack from Titanic. They all meet miserable ends, typically at their own hands."

"Katherina and Petruchio?"

"Comedies don't count, though you get points for appropriateness." I started laughing at his reference. How adequate to bring up _The Taming Of The Shrew._ "You mentioned structure, what exactly did you have in mind?"

"Seeing our jobs are on the line if we're caught, we can not go public with this affair. Therefore, outings like tonight should be avoided. It would be a shame for the media to get a hold of a story like this. On the other hand, neither of us have the balls to walk away from enemy territory. So, I have a proposal. We meet three times a week. When we're together, we don't speak of work or anything associated with it. Our personal time is our _personal _time - you catch my drift? Would you be interested in something along those lines?"

I thought about it for a few seconds. I had been late to work this week because of our exhausting encounters, and I'm never late. Perhaps adding some structure was a good thing. Perhaps it would separate our situation from that of an actual relationship, perhaps it would make it less personal, less complicated, and less complicated always worked for me. I'd never had the time for dating nor the patience to get to know someone. Guaranteed, fabulous sex three times a week was something I definitely could get used to. I knew he wasn't planning on telling anyone, and I certainly wouldn't say anything. The fact that we wouldn't talk about work meant that whatever happened there, stayed there; whether it be stealing clients, playing spy games, or competing for the same accounts. Everything sounded too perfect - almost too good to be true.

And my momma always told me when something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. "What's the catch?"

"Should there be a catch?" he retorted.

I crossed my arms and considered his proposal. "For medical reasons, of course, you wouldn't sleep with anyone else."

"Nor would you, obviously."

"So we're exclusive, but we're not dating," I reiterated.

"If you want to see it that way, sure."

"What's in it for you?"

"Not that you seem the type, but I could go without the nagging connotation that a girlfriend brings."

"And for me?"

"I mean -" He laughed and leaned in a little closer. "If you didn't like what's been going on this past week, I can call you a cab."

I pursed my lips at his offer. It was a business deal, it was a way of dealing with these desires I had for him, and a way to keep my professional life sound.

He continued his offer, breaking my train of thought. "The minute that you or I say we've been compromised, deals off. We walk away scott free."

"You would be able to separate your life like that?"

"Couldn't you?"

I paused for a few minutes to evaluate his expression.

_Was he for real? _

Those eyes bore into me, absolutely startling and confident, one hundred percent serious. "Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. And you can't call me at work anymore. Our personal life stays personal." I stuck my hand out to shake on it. He reached across the table, shook twice and then brought my knuckles to his lips.

"Miss Swan, you have yourself an accord." He looked down at his watch. "And, as of an hour ago, it's Sunday. What do you want to do today?"

I tried look a sip of my water, but realized it was mostly gone, so I took another bite of the cookie instead. "Sleep," I finally answered.

"I'm sorry, you must be exhausted. You're pretty tonked, huh?" Edward laughed and then grabbed the last of the cookie, rising from his seat to offer me his hand.

This arrangement of ours seemed like the answer to my prayers. It left me feeling completely at ease. I could satisfy this pull I had towards him, but keep it low key - impersonal. Our professional life stayed professional. We exited the cafe and hailed a cab to take us back to our complex. I remembered collapsing into his chest as soon as we'd climbed into the backseat, closing my eyes almost instantly and I didn't reopen them again until we were walking into the lobby. He had flung my arm over his shoulders, and was practically dragging me to the elevator.

I heard Mike yell, "Is she okay?" and Edward reply, "Yeah, just a bit too much vodka."

I giggled myself awake just as the doors opened and, when we walked in, he leaned me against the railing and pushed the button for my floor. I looked to him with hazy eyes and pulled his belt closer to my pelvis. "Edward, this is our elevator, isn't it?"

"It is," he replied softly, leaning down to kiss me sweetly. I wrapped my hand behind his neck and pulled him closer, wanting to deepen the kiss, but he stopped to pull back and smile. "Bella, wait until we get to your loft. We're almost there."

"Let's go to your loft," I suggested just as the doors flung open. We were already here.

_Oh well._

I stumbled down the hallway to my loft and fumbled with my keys at the door. I finally managed to find the right one and I slid it into my lock, slowly twisting the handle to get inside. I walked into my foyer, flicked on the lights, and threw my purse onto the kitchen counter.

I turned around to talk to him, but his hands were already on my cheeks, pulling my face to meet his. I wrapped my arms around his neck, his hands found their way down my back to my upper thighs and he lifted me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist, kissing and clawing at him to get closer. I need to possess him, to have him inside of me already, to seal the deal we'd made in the coffee shop. He walked through my loft to my glass window, pushing me up against it as those velvet lips caressed mine to submission. I was completely his, in every which way. Anything he wanted, I would gladly give.

_In fact -_

That gave me an idea - something that popped into my head at the club. I needed to do it. I just had to.

I slid down his body, firmly planting myself on the ground, and I ran my hand over the growing bulge forming in his pants. After unbuckling his belt, I pushed the button on his pants through its hole and unzipped his pants, pulling them down to his ankles. Next, came his boxers. And once those were gone, I licked my lips and glanced up at his beautifully shaped erection.

I parted my lips slightly, slowly drawing him into my mouth. God, he tasted so damn good. He rested his forehead against the glass and wrapped his fingers through my hair, gripping harder when I gently scraped my teeth across his tender flesh. I met his eyes when I took him all the back to the back of my throat and moaned a little, a trick I learned that drove men crazy. It did not disappoint. A few seconds later, he brought his hands to my shoulders and pulled upward, beckoning me to rise. I started to fight him on it. I was loving the feel of his skin sliding between my lips, the taste of his cock on my tongue. And the way he stared down at me while I was doing it was enough to make me want to stay in that position all night.

He tried to pull me up again.

I didn't budge.

"Bella, I'm gonna come, you have to stop."

"Why?" I whimpered, dancing my tongue around the tip.

"I wanna be inside of you when that happens."

_Hell yeah!_

I didn't waste anytime getting to my feet, where he instantly bent me over the arm of my sofa and pushed me face down on my couch. Then, he leaned over me from behind, the heat of his chest sprawling over my back, and brought his mouth to my ear.

"Again with these boots, Bella. Are you trying to drive me insane?" he murmured, dancing his fingers down the outside of my thighs. It took a second to realize that he was inching my skirt up, slowly, teasingly. His fingers eventually found their way under it because the next thing I knew, my panties were sliding down my boots, and Edward's tongue was dragging down the slit in between my legs. As soon as his fiery breath hit my skin, my heart literally skipped a beat. God, he felt amazing against me. The contact of his flesh against mine was a force to be reckoned with, rocking the very foundation of my soul. A tremor shot down my spine; I couldn't help the quiver that raced through my body or the shaking between my thighs.

His fingers found their way inside of me just as he sucked harder, eliciting a moan and forcing my hips to rock against him in response. He finally stood, reached under a magazine on my coffee table and pulled out a condom.

"Did you just-" I started to say.

"Shh.. Don't ask questions," he commanded. I giggled as he ripped open the wrapper, rolled on the condom, and plunged into me.

_Oh Sweet Merciful Baby Jesus!_

He felt so fucking amazing, I could hardly contain the scream threatening to barrel out of my throat any second.

I hadn't lied to Jake this morning. Every time Edward entered me, he immediately found my spot and it rocked my whole goddamn world. I arched my back in response while he grabbed a handful of hair on the back of my head. I met his trusts with pushes of my own, reaching behind us for a grip on the back of his thigh. I pulled him tighter to me, closer, deeper - harder.

I fell forward on the couch, which allowed him to go at a different angle, and Damn if that wasn't better than before. His hips met mine with a tremendous force, and just when I was about to climax, Edward brought his hands between my legs and circled my clit. My eyes rolled back in my head, my hands gripped the pillow under me and every muscle inside of me tightened.

I was pushed off the edge of all known reason. My climax roared through me with such tremendous bliss and ecstasy, that I actually prayed to never rebound. I actually wanted to live in that moment forever.

He slammed into me harder and harder, allowing me to ride out the intensity of my orgasm. When I finally relaxed against him and came back to reality, he pulled out and walked around to sit down on the couch. Of course I followed him, a confused look on my face indicating he tell me what he wanted. But that was explained when he pulled me by the hips over his body. I put my legs on either side of his thighs and stared into his eyes, lowering myself down on his cock. As I relaxed on top of him, I guided his dick into me and sat all the way down - bringing his as deep as he could possibly go. It was marvelous - absolutely the best feeling in the world. My hands found their way to his shoulders and eventually twisted themselves into his hair.

His eyes wild with desire and his lips slightly parted in awe, he pulled my shirt above my head and over my arms, just as I pulled myself up and then slowly back down on him. His fingers quickly unsnapped my strapless bra and threw it off to the side, his lips almost attacking my nipple with fury. He sucked and nibbled and drew them between his lips, all while I rode him with a passion.

I arched my back and rested my hands on his kneecaps, allowing him a full view of our fantastic sex. It wasn't long before his arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me closer to him, his face tightening in correspondence with our quickening pace. He moaned, squeezed me tightly and then sank his teeth into the skin just above my breast. As innocent as his nibble may have been, it was enough to send me over the edge as well - for the second time.

People live their whole lives having never experienced anything like what we had. For most of the situations I had been in, it seemed that the sex only got more boring as time went on. It was as if I'd found my match, things with Edward were only getting better, and I couldn't be more smitten with our new arrangement.

Edward leaned back on the couch, and pulled himself out of me, taking off the condom and slipping it back into the wrapper. He threw it in the trash can next to my table. I remained on top of him, our arms wrapped around each other in a sweaty embrace.

"Edward?" I grumbled after a few minutes of silence.

"Hmm?" He moaned.

"How did you know my favorite breakfast?" I sat up and looked at him, to make sure his face was honest when he gave his answer.

"Maxim February 2008. Women predicted to take over the world? Little miss CEO all wrapped up in a down comforter on a white sofa. Those red heels, those red lips. Tell me something, did they let you keep those shoes?" He blinked his eyes open and looked down to me as I rested my head on his shoulder.

I licked my lips and sighed at how stupid I had been. Of course he had seen that, and of course he had read the interview, where I detailed very personal, and mostly made up, facts about my sex life. But I hadn't lied about question number seven, "The best breakfast for the morning after great sex," to which I put emphasis on the apple jelly. Anyone in America with a Maxim subscription would know what my favorite breakfast was.

I sighed and then nestled a little closer to him. A few minutes later, I felt him scoop me in his arms and take me upstairs to my bed. Edward Cullen had spent the night in my arms for the second night in a row, and this time, I didn't seem afraid.

**A/N: Don't forget the love!**


	7. Eggs, Brad Pitt, & Strawberry Ice Cream

**A/N: I just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone who's been reading and commenting on Spy Games. You guys are awesome, and I'm so happy you guys are enjoying it. Here is the new chapter, and please please let me know what you think. :-) Jenn**

**_Chapter 7_**

_"Eggs, Brad Pitt and Strawberry Ice Cream"_

"Are you ready, Bella?" Alice chirped from behind me. The makeup artist applied the finishing touches to my lipstick as her assistant undid the last curler and brushed that section even with the rest of my hair.

"Just about," I managed to stutter.

"Well come on then." Alice walked closer to me, and grabbed my wrist to pull me towards the photo shoot.

"Alice, what if I'm not any good?"

"Bella, you look great. You'll do great! Now, get up and tromp your beautiful ass over to that sofa."

"I'm wearing pasties and flesh colored underwear underneath this robe," I hissed, clutching to my cotton covering.

"That's sort of the point. You're supposed to look like you're naked. Besides, that isn't ALL you're wearing. Those red heels count for something." She winked and then smacked my butt to move me along. "Now, get over there," she urged, pushing me closer to the white sofa of death with a thousand lights beaming down on it. It was supposed to be a heavenly sort of shoot, but, at the moment, it only reminded me of impending doom. This magazine article would be on the news stands nationwide for a month, and every time I passed by a counter, I would see my face staring back at me and remember this moment.

I gulped, swallowed my pride and let my robe fall to the floor, strutting to the sofa and plopping down face first to throw my feet behind my head. The photographer did a great job making me feel comfortable, directing me and telling me exactly what to do. In all reality, it wasn't that bad. As the clicking of the camera continued, it seemed that all of the spectators disappeared behind the lights. It was just me and red heels.

_"Bella?"_

"Should I move my feet higher?" I felt myself saying.

_A chuckle_,_ then "Bella?"_

I opened my eyes, squinting at the bright sunlight. _What day is it?_ Sunday I think. _Where am I?_ Home, definitely not a studio. _Must have been a dream._ I wiped the drool off of my face and ran a hand over my eyes and forehead.

Then, the bed moved behind me.

I jumped about ten feet in the air and shouted, "Christ on a sandwich!" before rolling right out of bed. I had completely forgotten about Edward, and as my head hit the floor, last night came rushing back to me. _Oh, that's right. Our arrangement._

"Are you okay?" he snorted as he leaned over the bed to look at me.

I nodded and then casually climbed stood, cursing myself for being so imbalanced.

"There's someone knocking at your door. He's been there for at least twenty minutes. I was debating whether I should be the one to answer it," he whispered, laying down and crossing his hands behind his head. His tousled bronze hair glinted in the sunlight, and the long muscles of his body relaxed against my mattress. I could lose myself, just sitting here, staring at him.

Another knock came, this time louder and more furious. _"Bella, it's Jake. Open up . . ."_

"Oh god," I whimpered, snatching my robe from the bathroom door. "You should definitely just stay here," I suggested, shooting him a smile and taking off down my stairs. I crossed my living room to where my top, bra, and panties were still lying on the floor. I dashed into my foyer, cursing Jake, who continued to beat his fist against the wooden entrance. "I'm coming!" I growled as I unfastened my locks and flung the door to the side. "What?"

"Well hello to you too, sunshine," he chided, obviously surprised by my aggressive greeting.

"Jake, I'm hungover, I have a headache, and you've been pounding at my door for over twenty five minutes. Can you not take a hint! After the first ten minutes, you probably should leave a note."

"Leave a note? For what? I knew you were here, Bells, you're always here."

"What do you want, Jacob?" I whined, stepping through my entry way to talk with him in the hall.

Jake looked over me, into my loft, and raised one eye brow in response. He must have noticed my clothes haphazardly disregarded on the living room floor, meaning I didn't make it to my bedroom before they came off. "Bells, did you get laid last night?"

I instantly shushed him and pushed vigorously on his chest, forcing us into the hallway as I kicked the door closed behind me. I rolled my eyes and looked up to him with the most annoyed face I could muster. "Yes. Yes I did and it was wonderful. Now, what can I do for you this morning?"

"Was it him? Did you screw Cullen _again?_" Jake asked with eager anticipation.

"Jake, I really feel like I'm about to puke. You have two more seconds," I threatened.

"You left this at the club. Thanks for the drinks, by the way." He pulled my credit card out of his pocket and flicked me on the head with it. "Being that you left me stranded last night, I took the liberty of paying both of our tabs on the company account. Thank you Daddy Jenks," he cooed, handing me the plastic card. "You should be more careful with that. I passed three Armani outlets on the way up here. You're lucky I love you."

I sighed in relief. I had completely forgotten about my tab. I suppose I was so caught up in the moment that I didn't think to do anything really, just leave with Edward. "I am very lucky that you love me, Jake. Thanks."

"And you can understand why I didn't want to just slide it under the door."

"I know, I know." I threw my arms around his waist and buried my head in his broad chest. "And, I didn't leave you stranded. You were wrist deep in twinkie filling by the time I left. I assumed you knew your way home." He hugged me tighter and then leaned down to whisper in my ear.

"Just what are you planning to do about 'Magic Johnson' in there?"

I sighed and shook my head. "I suppose I'll keep fucking him, professionally and personally, if that's what he wants. Him and his magic johnson."

"Well, good fucking luck." He kissed me on the forehead and pulled away from me. "I've got to go. Call me later?"

I nodded as he turned away and walked down the hall to the elevator. "Bye Jake," I shouted behind him. I turned to the door and began thinking about how awesome my best friend really was, and how lucky I was to have him in my life.

Then, the realization hit me. I had left Edward Cullen alone for over five minutes. That was more than ample time for him to hide condoms on every surface of my loft, if he hadn't already. I eagerly turned the handle and sprang back into my foyer, expecting to see him flitting around, picking up magazines and hiding birth control under them. Even if I was on Seasonale, the condoms were still a much needed accessory. After all, I did just meet this guy a week ago. I didn't know where he'd been.

Much to my dismay, Edward wasn't in my living room, or my kitchen.

I threw my credit card on the kitchen counter and stalked upstairs, leaning into my bedroom and perching my head around the door. Edward was still laying on my bed, staring at the ceiling. _Damn, he listens well._ I giggled a little at myself and then cleared my throat to get his attention. "Would you care for a shower?"

"I would love one," he replied with a gentle smile. I turned for my bathroom and slipped my robe off of my shoulders, sauntering on to the dark marble tiles that lined my floor. I threw my robe on the hook behind the door and stood to the side so Edward could follow me. Shutting the door behind him, he gave me a wink as I walked over to the shower and blasted the hot water. Sliding my underwear down to my ankles, I stepped out of them and into the tub. "So, who was at the door?" he whispered, climbing in behind me.

"It was Jake," I explained, leaning my head back to run my hands through my hair and massage different areas of my head.

"Jake?" he asked as he grabbed my shampoo and squirted some on his hand.

"He's Alice's little brother . . . and Alice is the freakishly-loud-for-her-size brunette you met last night."

He took a step closer and gestured for me to turn around before rubbing his hands together and intertwining them in my hair. "She's your assistant, correct?"

"Only during the day. She's been my best friend since we were six. Of course, I hired her for the job when the time came. She takes care of me better than I could ever hope to take care of myself. She always has." I felt my head aching to relax against him as his fingers worked wonders on my scalp. Damn, those were talented fingers. I turned around to rinse out the shampoo as he handed the bottle to me.

Once my hair was suds-free, we traded places. He jumped from the heat of the water and instantly leaned down to turn up the cold. "Ahh.. Damn Bella! Do you have a brain tumor?" he shouted.

I chuckled at his sudden outburst. "Not to my knowledge. Why do you ask?"

"When your body can no longer distinguish between hot and scalding, it's time for a CAT scan. Don't you watch House?"

"I can tell it's scalding, I just like it that way." I shrugged and squirted the shampoo on my hand, anticipating running my fingers through his beautiful hair. I massaged his head for a few seconds, but he soon turned to me and wrapped his arm around my waist.

"So, what did Jake have to say?" he whispered, leaning down to kiss me on the nape of my neck.

"I left him and my credit card at the club last night." He slowly moved around me, grazing his half erection against my thigh. Once I was under the water again, he grabbed my wash poof and squirted some soap in the middle of it, rubbing it between his hands before bringing it to my chest and gently circling it over my body.

"Was he upset with you?"

"Not terribly."

"He didn't seem too upset when we were leaving."

"I mentioned that to him," I added, hoping to nip the conversation in the bud.

Edward smiled and then began rubbing himself down with the same poof. My eyes followed the trail his hands were making across his body: shoulders, chest, arms, waist, legs. Every part of him turned me on somehow. "How long has Jake been homosexual?"

"Lord, I don't know. Probably his whole life. There's that huge debate over nature vs. nurture, ya know, are we born this way, or are we made this way? Well, Alice and Jake never knew their parents, so there's no evidence to prove nature. On the other hand, he did have Alice as an older sister. So if you ask me, nurture takes a huge role. God, she had him playing dress up at five, cutting hair by twelve, and by the time he got to high school, he was loud and proud."

"Why didn't they know their parents?"

"That's not really my story to tell," I explained, not sure if I wanted him to know that much about them just yet. Alice could tell him herself if she wanted.

He nodded, seeming to understand, but his face instantly twisted into curiosity. "What exactly is your story to tell?"

I sighed, debating if I wanted to go there. I decided that, since his family life was so public and I thought I knew most of it, he deserved the privilege of knowing mine as well. "I'm originally from Forks, Washington," I started, looking up to his amused expression. "It's this tiny little town, a few hours outside Seattle."

Edward nodded and ran his hands through his hair in the water as I continued. "I remember my parents being really happy, and then one day, they just weren't anymore. They thought moving to another town would help them reconnect, ya know, get away from the all the bullshit. We came here and my mom was happy for a little while, but my dad wasn't, and that put a beating on her new found sunshine. He left after a year, went back to Forks." I looked to the ground, my eyes growing distant as I recalled the memory. "The thing is, my father told her to stop him, told her that he didn't want to leave, but that he would because he knew she didn't love him anymore. He was right. She let him go, and she was heart broken for a little while, but eventually, she moved on.'

'I went to college, then to grad school. I started working for Jenks six years ago, and now I'm here. I go to work, I come home and I go to sleep. Occasionally, I go to the spa or enjoy a nightclub, but not that often."

Throughout this brief history of Isabella Swan, we had finished bathing each other and were simply standing under the running water, allowing the steam to fill the room. Edward sighed, breaking the awkward silence after my depressing story. "My parents love each other in public, but despise each other in private. At least your dad had enough sense to get away when he sensed things going sour. My parents struggle with years of pent up aggression for one another. They've tried therapy, counseling, drugs-"

"At least they're still trying. It's better than just giving up," I interrupted.

"Some things just aren't supposed to work. There's no sense in forcing them to go a certain way when they're hell bent on being disastrous." I frowned a little at his explanation. He was right, and I hated him for it. "Sometimes, I think they'd both be happier if they just divorced already," he continued.

"Well, enough about parents and upsetting childhoods," I snorted, bending around him and turning off the water. "I think I'm starting to get a little hungry."

"That's surprising. Aren't you hungover?"

"A little. I've got a headache, and I feel a little dehydrated, but nothing a little scrambled eggs won't fix." I giggled and then reached for my towel, wrapping it around my body before stepping out of the shower. We walked back into my bedroom and I went for my drawers, rifling through old jeans and tee shirts to find something comfy for a lazy day inside.

"Umm.." Edward muttered, looking around absent-mindedly. "I don't have any clothes, ya' know besides what I wore last night. I'll have to run up to my loft."

I gazed up at him and nodded, slipping undies and jeans over my legs. He smiled, sliding his pants from last night over his body, followed by his button down. After he put on his shoes and walked down the stairs to my door, it only took me two seconds to process what I would do next.

Part of me knew that I should trust him, just assume that what he told me the first night in the elevator about living two floors up was the truth. But the other part of me wanted to know if he really did have a loft here. Funny that he should only show up when the time was convenient for him. I threw on a tee shirt and took off through my loft, squeaking the front door open slowly and slyly peeking out. He had just turned the corner at the end of the hallway.

I squeezed through the entry and tiptoed on the soft carpet, slinking against the opposite wall like a feline. I'm not exactly sure why I did that, it's not like I would instantly become invisible if he did turn around, but it seemed more discreet - and discretion was definitely what I was going for.

It had only just hit me how stupid this idea was. What was I doing? Had he given me any reason _not _to trust him? I suppose I felt like it was necessary. He knew where I lived, why shouldn't I have the same luxury? I reached the corner, and leaned against the wall, praying for the courage to look. What if he was just standing there, wondering why I was following him? What would I do then? God, this was ridiculous.

I remembered something I heard in James Bond, or Bourne Identity, or some other spy movie. In this type of looking around the corner situation, it's best to squat down and look around the corner from the floor. A person standing on the other side would look for your face before they'd look for your feet.

I did as James Bond recommended and dropped to my knees, inching my face around the corner and sneaking a quick peek. The door to the stairwell was just shutting, meaning he must have gone through it. My heart racing as I stood, I took a deep breath and ran my fingers through my hair. Alright, man - now or never. Time to nut up or shut up. Desperate for the courage to continue, I took a few hesitant steps forward and pushed the door open, walking to the middle and peering over the rail. No sign of him.

I turned my head to look up, and gasped. I could have sworn he was just leaning over the railway looking at me, but before I could react, the door two flights up slammed shut and I realized I had to have been imagining it. Satisfied and a little terrified, I returned to my hallway, rushed to my loft and heaved a deep sigh of relief. I suppose my paranoia was unfounded.

I spent his time away cleaning my loft, taking my clothes from my living room up to my hamper before straightening my bed and throwing my pillows casually on top of my covers. I pulled my wet hair into a ponytail and returned downstairs, my mind instantly going back to how we'd desecrated my sofa last night. I'd never been fucked like that before, it freaking rocked my world. This man, in a matter of a week, had nestled himself so deeply in my psyche, he would never be free. He'd always be the man I compared everyone after him to, the creme-de-la-creme of my, otherwise, pathetic sex life. As my gaze caught my coffee table, I remembered that Edward magically made a condom appear from under one of my magazine and wondered how many more there could be lurking around my loft.

When would he have had time to hide them? Why _would _he hide them?

I picked up all of my magazines and shook them back and forth, attempting to rattle lose any left. It appeared he had only hidden the one there. I picked up my fishbowl-turned-vase center piece and found nothing there as well. I checked the cushions on the couch, the baskets under my table, and my laptop on the desk next to the sofa.

Nothing.

I stood, and scanned my living room, my eyes immediately landing on my desk by the door. I stalked over and tossed my key basket to the side.

Trojan.

_AH HAH!_

I couldn't help but wonder why he had picked this desk. It would be quite inconvenient to have to dash to this spot in the heat of the moment. The only reason to hide one here would be if he wanted to . . . _fuck me here. _

Deciding I liked the sound of that, I put the condom back on the table and placed the basket back on top of it.

Now I was faced with a dilemma. I could locate more, collect them, and confront him about it.

Or, I could allow them to continue to be hidden, and play along with his game. Perhaps I could even call him on it and pull one out myself. In order to do that, I would need to know where the rest of them were hidden. I strutted to the breakfast bar, and picked up the candles placed on either side. One under each. I walked to my bookcase, eyeing each book incredulously. But there were too many to choose from. I could be here all day, shaking out literature in search of Edward's secret hiding spot.

Just as I was about to check my dining room table, Edward returned through my front door wearing a pair of comfortable looking jeans, a black tee shirt with some kind of design on it, a gray hoodie and a pair of Adidas running shoes.

My eyes narrowed on the shoes. I giggled to myself as I looked from his to my Nike equivalent by the front door. "God, even our shoes are enemies," I whispered.

He laughed and took a few steps toward me. "So, what were you planning on doing with your Sunday afternoon?" he asked as he made his way over to my kitchen, leaning against the counter. I crossed the room and sat on a stool opposite him at the breakfast bar.

"No huge plans," I answered, hoping he would come up with something.

"Really?" His face lit up a little, but was instantly brought back to neutral as if he was surprised to be excited about that.

"What about you?"

"I've got dinner plans with my brother, Emmett, at six. Nothing until then."

I knew I was hungry, and I knew that if I waited, Edward would prepare me that breakfast I had avoided yesterday morning. .

On the other hand . . .

I felt an intense urge to rip that tee shirt off of his body and do _him_ with my Sunday afternoon. Edward continued talking, but I didn't hear a thing he said. I was too busy eye fucking him from head to toe, paying special attention to the way his pants hung off of his hips, and the way his tongue darted back and forth in his mouth as he spoke. "Bella?" he asked suddenly, snatching my attention to reality.

"Huh?"

"Eggs then?" he reiterated, looking at me with an eager expression.

"Eggs, it is," I answered, licking my lips and looking up to him deviously. "So you know what my favorite breakfast is, what's yours?"

"I'm surprised you haven't googled that by now." He grinned and turned to my fridge, hunting around for the right ingredients. I stood and walked around the counter, bringing my hands to the door and leaning over it to look at him.

"Did you google me?" I asked, playfully.

He snatched the eggs, cheese, milk, and biscuits into one arm and closed the door with the other, shooting me a playful grin in response. "Perhaps."

"Oh yeah? And what did you find?"

Instead of answering, he plopped the ingredients down on the counter and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead. "French toast," he muttered, turning to the cabinets in order to grab a frying pan and a dish. "French toast with strawberries and powdered sugar, just like mom used to make." He grinned and then returned to cooking. "Well, not really mom per se, more like Victoria."

"Victoria?" I turned around and leaned against my counter. Ripping open the bag of shredded cheese, I reached my hand inside to pinch a little and drizzle it in my mouth.

"Our nanny," he explained, cracking the eggs open and spilling the contents into the little bowl he'd grabbed.

I swallowed hard at the word. "You had a nanny?"

"Still do. My parent's traveled a lot when I was growing up. It would have been hard to tote two little boys along every where they went. Victoria made sure we were raised right, even if Mom and Dad were too distracted to do it themselves." He started spinning the fork through the eggs before adding a little milk and stirring some more. Next came the salt and pepper, and a little bit of oregano.

"Do you have a good relationship with your parents?" I continued, rezipping the cheese and throwing the bag next to where he was cooking.

"I'd like to think so." He smiled and dumped the eggs onto the frying pan, making a loud sizzle noise as they splashed onto the hot metal surface. he let them cook for a minute and moved on to the biscuits, pulling two out of the bag and placing them on the counter before reaching for my toaster oven. "They just want me to be happy."

"And are you?"

A conflicted look crossed his face before he cleared his throat. "Sometimes," he retorted as he turned the knob on the oven and looked away, almost purposely avoiding my stare. In my general life experience, I've come to learn that the question "are you happy" has only two responses. Yes or no. There was no gray area. Anything that was not an immediate yes was a resounding no. "What about your parents? Do you still talk to your dad?" he asked, switching the focus back to me.

"On holidays. My mom used to make me go out there for two weeks out of the summer, and every other holiday, and all that stupid bullshit. I'm positive that the last time I talked to him was Easter, and even then only for a few minutes. I was on a plane to China and was about to lose him anyway."

"And Momma bear?" He leaned against the counter with one hand and put the other on his hip.

"Momma bear and I have a wonderful relationship. I'm supposed to have lunch with her on Tuesday or something."

"Does she still live around here?"

"She moved to Jersey a few years ago. Couldn't stand the mass panic any more."

Edward laughed and returned to fussing with the eggs. "Like Jersey's any better."

"That's what I told her, but she's the type to do whatever she wants anyway, no matter what anyone says to her."

Edward suppressed a chuckle, looked to me and nodded, as if he was confirming a silent thought. "Like mother, like daughter, huh?"

I smacked his arm playfully. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"From the sound of Alice's voice last night, you were probably told to stop screwing around with the competition. Yes? And yet, you left with me and spent the majority of the night drooling on my chest." He was trying incredibly hard to not to break down in laughter.

My jaw dropped in mock embarrassment. "I don't drool," I exclaimed before realizing he hadn't mixed the cheese in yet. "And you better get back to those eggs, Captain _Maxim_ Subscription. You're messing up the best part."

"Okay, Small Town. I'm mixing in the cheese now, calm down," he joked, giving me my favorite crooked grin before snatching the bag of mozzarella from the counter. We carelessly flirted in the kitchen, exchanging witty comments and finding out just the slightest bit more about each other. His hand brushed against mine when he handed me my plate, causing me to damn near spill the entire meal down the front of his delectable body. We returned to my living room where we plopped on either side of the couch and switched on the TV.

Three hours, two glasses of wine and one Quentin Tarantino movie later, I was lying down across the couch with my head in his lap while he brushed the hair back from my face. I rambled on about something ridiculous Alice, Jake, and I did in high school. I couldn't remember what gave us the idea, or why we decided to go through with it, but we found it absolutely hilarious to steal the mascot uniform and toss it in the Hudson River. We thought we were bringing down the man; rebelling against tyranny! I realize now that we were just incredibly young and stupid.

Edward laughed at my idiotic stories, genuinely seeming amused by them. He told me some of his own as well. One time, he and a few of his friends switched their favorite teachers rooms, Mr. Jones and Mrs. McCartney. They took everything out of Mr. J's room, put it in Mrs. M's, and vice verse. They even went so far as to take out the bulletin board posters and switch them as well. Mr. J came in the next day, walked over to his desk, sat his stuff down, and then looked around. He walked out into the hall and double checked the room number. Yes, he was in the right room. The next thing Edward knew, his name was being paged over the loud speaker. _"Edward Cullen, report to the principal's__ office."_ Edward didn't know how they knew it was him, he thought he'd been so careful. It was chalked up to be a funny prank, and Edward was put on disciplinary warning, provided he switch the rooms back before next period. No harm, no foul.

As soon as he'd finished his story, a loud buzzing came from under my head. I sat up and he reached into his pocket to pull out his cellphone.

"Oh shit," he muttered as he flipped it open.

I could hear, who I assumed was, Emmett on the other end. _"Where the hell are you?"_

"Uh.. I'm leaving now," Edward stuttered, rising to his feet.

_"Leaving now? It's gonna take you twenty minutes to get here. Should I just go in and sit down?"_

"Yeah, do that. I'll be there soon."

_"Later man."_

Edward flipped his phone closed and looked at the time. "It's already close to six. Bella, I'm so sorry. I have to go."

My heart sank. It was the first day of our arrangement, and we had done nothing but talk through it. Not that I didn't enjoy that, but we're not supposed to be talking. Talking all day implies dating. We were supposed to be fucking. Fucking all day could imply anything. Sheer disappointment must have been written across my face because he leaned down, kissed me and then whispered, "Don't worry, I'll come afterwards."

"Or you could come now," I teased, trying to pull him closer to me.

"Ms. Swan, you've had all day to make passes at me."

"Is that what you've been waiting for?"

"Not entirely."

"Then, what the hell . . ."

"I love watching you talk. There's something so hypnotizing about the way your perfect little mouth forms those syllables. I simply couldn't stop you," he explained, taking a few steps away and shooting me a wink before disappearing through my door. I slumped into my over sized couch, and curled my legs under me.

At this moment, I couldn't feel more conflicted about this whole fucked up situation. Part of me enjoyed talking all day with him, enjoyed listening to him and longed for him to stay. The other part of me, the more rational side, was convinced that this was a bad idea. Perhaps it was a hallucination, but I could swear two little Bella's popped up on either side of my head.

_"Dude! Seriously! You need to ditch this guy,"_ sensible Bella argued.

_"No way, you had__ a conversation that intense since sophomore year of college,"_ wild, carefree Bella retorted.

_"What if you get fired?" _sensible Bella spat.

_"Always with this whiny getting fired bullshit. Does he look afraid to get fired?"_

_"Daddy's on his side, and you do not have a daddy on your side. Just an angry, pissed off, old man named Jenks. Now, stop this before you lose everything."_

_"Do not stop this. The sex is great, his personality is great, you two get along so well."_

"Okay, shut up," I shouted at myself and I aimlessly looked around my loft in pure shock at what had just happened.

I just had an entire conversation - with myself - in second person no less. I actually losing my mind. Great! Real fucking nice.

Suddenly, my phone began ringing upstairs. I jumped a little from the sudden noise and rose from the couch, making my way to the bed room. I looked down at my night stand and realized it was Alice. I had missed the call, and it had already gone to voicemail. Apparently, she was desperate to get a hold of me because I had missed five calls from her today.

I immediately pushed redial, not even thinking to check the voicemail first. It had to have been urgent.

_"Bella? Holy hell! I've been trying to get a hold of you all day."_

"I know, what's wrong? Is Mama Whitlock okay?"

_"Mama Whitlock is just fine. They think she's got a cold, but that's not why I'm calling."_

"Ok, what's up?"

_"I got a funny email today."_

"Oh yeah? What's it say?"

_"To: The Office of Isabella M. Swan, From: The Office of William S. Dean. Classification: (Unclassified)._

_Miss Swan, your presence is requested at the company banquet this upcoming Friday night. Many apologies for the late notice, but it was impossible to reserve the tickets until today. It would be a great honor if you would speak to my associates about your company, perhaps show the same presentation you showed to me. I will understand if you are unable to acquiesce to my request, but it would be delightful if you would make it._

_Sincerely, Mr. William S. Dean.'_

_The S. stands for ssssshexy,"_ Alice joked. _"That was the most important thing to discuss, but there's something else more pressing on my mind."_

"Okay-"

_"A little gay birdy told me that you undressed in your living room last night. Care to elaborate?"_

"Perhaps, but not right now," I squeaked; the slightest bit of girlish tone coming to my voice. I laid down on my bed, and twisted the blankets under me to support my weight.

_"Uh oh," _she mocked.

"Uh oh? What uh oh?"

_"You've got a crush on him."_

"No I don't."

_"Yes you do, like a full blown, school girl crush. You like him. You think he's seeexxyy. You want to hooolldd him and you want to loovvee him and you want to marrryyy him." _She had turned the mocking into full blown, immature singing and taunting.

"Oh God, Alice," I whined, smashing my hand into my forehead.

_"I'm calling it now. This will not end well for either of you."_ She paused, and I knew she was on the other side of the phone, shaking her head in disappointment. _"I know I can't tell you anything, but I was hoping you'd at least hear what I had to say, if not listen to it. Be careful. This could spell the death of you, professionally anyway,"_ she warned.

"Of course, I've thought of that."

_"Well, what should I say to Dean?__ Are we really going?"_

I sighed. Mr. Dean, the incredible, edible Mr. Dean. "Tell him I'll be there."

_"Slut. I knew you'd say yes."_

"Hey! I have nothing but honorable intentions for the skydiving investor."

_"And your intentions for the creepy, voyeuristic competition?"_

I sighed as my thoughts ran over our encounter last night, and then our conversation this morning. "Hmm.. Strawberries and powdered sugar."

_"Right, well, you have fun with that. I'm going to go make dinner. Wanna come?"_

"No, I think I've got some left over spaghetti."

_"And which Brad Pitt movie will it be tonight? Mr. and Mrs. Smith? Benjamin Button?"_

"No, I'm going old school. Anne Rice, bring it on!"

_"Ahh . . . the best one in my opinion."_

"That's only because there has never been a greater congregation of beautiful men. Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Antonio Banderas, Christian Slater."

_"I beg to differ on the last one. J.D. from Heather's may be your type, but he's definitely not mine."_

"Okay, when that movie came out, Christian Slater was the hottest thing since sliced bread."

_"I'm hanging up now. Bye Bye Bells!"_

"Bye Bye Mary."

I heard her gasp as I hit the end button on my phone. She hated her first name.

I climbed out of bed and changed into a blue silk nightie. Deciding to go commando, I slipped my panties to the floor, instigating a devious scheme for Edward's return. I threw a robe over top of my shoulders and walked downstairs to my kitchen. Once there, I opened the fridge and starting to make myself that bowl of 'sghetti I'd set my mind on. As I dumped the noodles out into the bowl, I thought over Alice's question.

_"What are your intentions for the creepy, voyeuristic competition?"_

If I only knew. I was so damn conflicted, it was hard to tell what way was up and what was down anymore.

It was this moment that I realized how much Edward could possibly be right. If you spent all your time worrying about things, you'd never get anything done. I needed to distract myself. I needed to banish all of these bad thoughts from my mind.

I microwaved my dinner and poured a glass of wine before sauntering to my DVD player to pop in one of the best book-to-movie adaptations I'd ever seen. _Interview With A__ Vampire._

Hell to the yeah!

I walked over to my sofa, pulled the blanket on the back of the couch around my shoulders and sat down, almost too excited to relish in all the beautiful glory that was Brad Pitt.

There are three reasons why I absolutely loved this movie, besides the fact that most of the actors are attractive.

First and foremost, there's vampires. Who doesn't love vampires? Enough said.

Second, Brad Pitt is a vampire. Need I say more?

Third, the film leaves out little from the book, and even though the movie ran over two hours, it was almost as captivating as Anne Rice's original words.

Somewhere around Louie eating rats and Lestat's god speech, I decided I wanted some ice cream. So, after waddling to the kitchen, I opened my freezer and grabbed the Ben and Jerry's Strawberry Shortcake and rummaged through my drawers for a spoon. No sooner was a big chunk of graham cracker in my mouth than I began to thank the sweet heavens for Vermont. Without such a wonderful state, this kind of blessing wouldn't be absolutely impossible.

I giggled to myself just as a knock came at the front door. My eyes instantly darted to the clock on my microwave. It was only eight thirty. If this was Edward, that was one short dinner. But who the hell would it be? I walked through my foyer and over to the door, stealing a glance out of the peep hole just to make sure my assumption was correct. My bronze haired Romeo stood on the other side. Smiling, I stuck my spoon into the pint and opened the door to let him in. He was leaning against the frame, looking absolutely fuckable, but what else was new?

"How was dinner?" I asked, gesturing him inside.

"Simply compelling," he answered sarcastically, moving around me into the foyer.

"Well, you're just in time for dessert," I teased. Strutting back into my kitchen, I sat the pint on the counter and went to reach for another bowl in my cabinet.

He followed me, his hands behind his back and a curious expression on his face. "Indeed," he murmured softly.

I picked up the spoon, making sure to scoop up a big strawberry, and brought it a few inches from his adorable lips. "Want some?"

He grinned and took the end of the spoon into his mouth, eyeing me from head to toe as he mashed the ice cream around. I watched intently while that beautiful, pink tongue darted in and out to lick anything remaining.  
Yum, Yum, Yum. Oh how I wished that tongue was licking me all over instead.

I scooped a little bit for myself and took a bite, slowly pulling the spoon out upside down. Shooting him a wink, I stabbed the silverware back into the pint on the counter and wrapped my arms around his neck. The feral look in his eyes suggested one scoop was all it was going to take.

His lips enveloped mine, forcing his delectable smell to swirl round my head, leaving me entranced and hypnotized all at the same time. He tasted like mint and strawberry ice cream, so incredibly enticing. I wanted more. I wanted it all.

Greedy though I was, he was taking it slow, making sure to caress every inch of my lips that needed the affection. His hands twisted in my hair before moving down my neck, grazing my shoulders and arms. Before I knew it, his hands were under my thighs and my legs were wrapped around his waist. After gracefully plopping me on the kitchen counter, I anxiously pulled at the belt around my robe, somehow unable to get it off quick enough. My fingers were shaky, my hands all uncoordinated. I wanted to be naked - right fucking now. But Edward, always cool and collected, he just danced his fingers ever so delicately from my ankles to my kneecaps, slowly moving up my thighs to the hem of my nightie. He reached just a little bit higher and raised his eyebrows in response.

"Nothing," he whispered, his tone full of surprise and excitement.

I felt the bulge in his pant twitch against me and I knew my plan was all coming together. That's right - Fucking. Nothing.

I nodded and wrapped my arm around his neck, pulling his face closer to mine. "Nothing," I confirmed as his fingers dragged down the inside of my thighs. He brought one hand between us and circled my clit playfully, gently, like he wanted to tease me but not get me all worked up just yet. I twisted my legs tighter around him, trying pulling his pelvis closer to mine, needing that friction between us, damn near yearning for it. Finally, he relinquished control and the glorious denim of his jeans brushed against the tender folds between my legs, the strangest mix of pleasure and pain surging through my body.

His fingers found their way inside of me and my hand slipped down the front of his jeans, massaging his growing erection in my palm and causing his hips to rock against me. In response, his fingers twisted harder and deeper and, with one last gasp, I decided I couldn't take it any longer. The time had fucking come, god damn it. Foreplay was great when you needed to get worked up for the sex. However, I'd been ready to go since this morning.

Reaching beside us, I knocked the candle to the side and grabbed the Trojan he had hidden there. I brought it between us and smiled, pressing it to his chest playfully. He pulled back to look down at my hand, eliciting a small chuckle once he'd realized what I'd grabbed. "I see you found those."

"Uh huh. I found those," I replied teasingly.

He smiled again and kissed me gently, then took the condom from my grasp and ripped it open. I almost couldn't get his pants unbuttoned quick enough. After I frantically pushed his jeans and boxers to his ankles, he rolled the rubber over his dick, and with a tender kiss, he plunged inside me, fulfilling me completely.

I gasped and moaned and squeaked a little before falling back on the counter. He wasted no time getting to that pace that he knew I loved, and he certainly did not work me up to it. He had this insatiable look in his eyes that suggested he needed me, all of me, at that very instant. It was a look that I was sure mirrored my own. I needed him, all of him, instantly. He leaned down, wrapped his arms behind me and hooked his hands on either side of my shoulders. He pulled me closer to him, encircling me with his smell, enticing me with his gentle kisses. He rocked in and out of me in a frenzy, unable to control himself, unable to control myself.

He reached back and brought the pint of ice cream to my side, pulling out the spoon and drizzling half melted ice cream over my chest. I arched my back in response to the cold sensation and he smiled before diving in. His tongue traced over my breasts, sucking the ice cream off of my nipple, and with one flick of his tongue, I folded like fucking putty in his hands.

I hooked my legs behind his knees and brought my lips to his neck, sweetly kissing his collar bone and giving him a gentle nibble. He moaned in response, but bent his head down to bring his mouth next to my ear. "Bella, you keep that up, and this won't last long."

With that, he grinned and backed away from me. In one swift moment, he grabbed my wrist, pulled me off the counter and twisted me around, pinning me against the breakfast bar. I was face down on my kitchen counter, with my arm bent behind my back as he leaned over me and nibbled on the nape of my neck.

He released my wrist and brought one hand to my hip, the other to my shoulder. He slammed into me again and again, making me regret the hard granite I'd had installed last year. It would surely bruise. But fuck it, I was euphoric.

He quickened his pace, plunging deeper and deeper. I rocked against him, meeting each thrust with a push of my own. I reached behind us and wrapped my hand behind his thigh, forcing him into me harder. His hands trailed down my back, eventually finding their way to my breasts and tugging lightly at my nipples.

Electricity surged through my body just from his touch. I felt my muscles tightening around him and I knew I was getting close to climax. One hand slowly moved down my stomach and circled my clit. I pushed against him and felt ecstasy race through my entire body.

"Come with me," I whimpered. I felt his arms constrict just as my eyes slammed shut and I froze. He continued to pound into me, but I was so overwhelmed with my orgasm to move.

He held me close to him the entire time as if carrying me through this explosive experience. Every nerve in my body stood on end and the muscles in my legs shook under my weight. Eventually, his short, quick thrusts slowed to one final push, and he let out a deep sigh. He'd reached his own climax as well.

We stayed like that for a few minutes, each lost in the pure bliss of the other's company. He placed a soft kiss on the back of my neck and wrapped his arms around my chest as he slowly pulled out of me. Somehow, he'd managed to get me over to the sofa and practically collapsed into the damn thing. Afterward, he walked back to the kitchen to dispose of the condom and rezipped his pants.

At least, I thought that was what he had done. I was completely out of it. He had literally fucked me senseless.

Edward returned a few minutes later and lifted my head to let him sit down. Once he had, he returned my head to his lap and began stroking his fingers through my hair. "Bella . . ."

"Hmm?" I managed to whimper.

"Do you want me to stay tonight? I don't have to. I could go home."

"Hmm," was all I could muster. I rolled into him and buried my head deep in his stomach, wrapping my hands around his waist.

The next thing I knew, it was morning. I blinked my eyes open and looked at the time. Eight o'clock. Oh shit! I need to get moving. I sat up and realized I had spent the night on the couch, completely naked and utterly alone. Edward was no where to be seen. Assuming he had left after I'd passed out, I stood up, walked upstairs to my bathroom and hopped in the shower.

As ran my hair under the hot water, I couldn't help but ponder what today would bring. I knew I couldn't expect to meet with him, and it would be the first night I actually spent alone in a week. Some part of that sounded relieving, the other part sounded disappointing. I would have to try extra hard to keep him from my thoughts tonight.

I dressed and made my way to my living room in order to gather my things. I snatched my purse and flitted through the front door, down the hallway and to the elevators. I pushed the down button and crossed my hands in front of me, anxiously waiting for the doors to open. It took a few seconds, but they eventually did. Low and behold, Edward Cullen was standing in the small space, looking unbelievably fuckable.

I caught my breath when I looked up to his eyes, utterly flabbergasted that we should see each other in the same elevator - again. I smiled and stepped inside, coyly looking the other way when he shot me a smile. He cleared his throat and raised his newspaper in front of him, pretending not to notice I had entered. As soon as the doors shut, he cleared his throat and flipped the newspaper around. "Did you enjoy your dessert last night?"

"Immensely. You?"

"Hmm. It's a shame we have to wait until Wednesday."

"It is," I sighed, "but that was the agreement. We have to be careful, Edward. Neither of us could afford a scandal right now." I breathed deeply, attempting to control the fluttering in my chest.

"I agree." Then, he casually put his briefcase on the ground and tucked the paper under his arm. Without any notice, he took a step towards me and pushed me against the wall, softly of course. He wanted me next to him, he wanted me under his control. And damned if I didn't want that too. Before I knew it, his lips were on mine. God, how he made me feel when he did that. I could literally fall apart right on the spot. My hands twisted themselves behind his head, mingling in his soft hair, and his pelvis pushed against mine, hinting at the growing arousal just getting started down below.

I prayed for a power outage. Give us fucking some time.

Suddenly, the elevator stopped and the doors began to open again. Edward abruptly pulled away from me, picked up his briefcase and gestured for me to go first. I wiped my mouth, took a deep breath to compose myself, and stalked into the lobby, shooting him a wink and a sexy smile as I passed. He followed closely behind me and accompanied me in the same section when we went through the resolving glass doors. When we reached the outside, he gave me a quick kiss on my shoulder and hopped into the first cab he saw.

I smiled at him and turned for the parking garage.

On the route to work, my thoughts naturally drifted to him, as they usually did. As much as I wanted to trust him, I couldn't help but feel like there was something he was hiding. I wonder if he really did have reservations at the Red Room, and where was his loft, exactly? I decided that today would be a day of research. He had certainly done his. I needed to get with the fucking program, ya' know?

When I arrived, I parked in my reserved spot, turned off the ignition and strolled into the lobby, catching an elevator in the nick of time. Arriving on my floor, I smiled and waved at Alice as I passed her office quickly trying to get to mine. I opened the door and stopped dead in my tracks. My heart sank.

There was a huge bouquet of wild flowers sitting on the middle of my desk.

Did Edward send them?

That would be against the rules, something he wanted to avoid.

If not him, then who?

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion and stalked over, snatching the card from the top of the arrangement to furiously rip the tiny envelope open. With shaky hands, I pulled out the note and sighed.

_"Ms. Swan,_

_I can not tell you how much it means to me that you will be at my banquet Friday night. Dress formally, and plan to speak for ten minutes. Isabella, I very much look forward to sky diving._

_See you Friday._

_Best Regards,  
William S. Dean."_

My jaw dropped. These flowers looked expensive, much more expensive than what can be declared a professional gift. This had to do with the date he'd asked me on. This was his attempt to persuade me. My eyes automatically shifted to Edward, who stood motionless at the window, briefcase and coffee still in hand. When our eyes met, he simply nodded and turned to his desk.


	8. Shadow Games

**A/N: Once again, I want to thank everyone who reads and reviews. You guys mean so much to me, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please leave comments. :-)**

Chapter 8  
"Shadow Games"

This arrangement was already starting to sound too complicated for me. I had spent the entire morning stealing glances over my shoulder to see if he was looking my way and, much to my dismay, not once did I catch him spying. I told him not to call me, so I knew I wasn't to be expecting my phone to ring with demands for an explanation for the flowers, yet for some reason, I longed for a chance to tell him who they were from. Not that I wanted to make him jealous, I simply did not want him to think I was already breaking the contract.

My second dilemma hit me only moments after reading the note. Friday was the banquet. Friday also happened to be the third day of our agreement. I shook my head a few times, deliberating the best way to break it to him. In the end, I decided that he would just have to understand. The banquet was business. Our affair was not. Business before pleasure, and that meant Edward took a backseat to Mr. Dean. Perhaps I could meet up with him afterward.

Damn . . . That conversation was bound to be awkward.

I turned to look at him one more time, realizing that he would probably ignore me for as long as he could. My dream the other day had given me an idea, and if this was the way he wanted to play, I was just going to have to up the ante.

About two hours after the first board meeting, and one hour before the next one, Alice bounded into my office on a mission. She neglected to knock at the door, which was my first cue that something was on her mind., and when she appeared around it, the look on her face was mischievous, concluding that she indeed had an agenda.

"Yes, Mrs. Almost Whitlock?"

"Alright, you've avoided me all morning. Now, who are the flowers from?"

I gave her a surprised look as I continued typing away at my keyboard. "The note's still on top if you want to read it."

She stalked forward and snatched it from the top of the bouquet, opening it while she stood in front of my desk. Her jaw dropped. "Oh . . . My . . . God . . ."

"I know," I answered, still refusing to look up from my keyboard.

"Are those roses?"

"Yeah, they've been dyed obviously." I scratched my head in frustration and leaned back in my chair, crossing my hands in front of me while I took in the purple, pink, and white flowers that made up the bouquet.

"What are you going to do?"

I grunted and ran my hands over my face. "Do me a favor, call maintenance and have them install floor length curtains in my office. White ones. And call Sherry at the Red Room. Ask her who was on the reservation list for Saturday night."

Alice crossed her arms and walked to my side of the desk, pursing her lips in curiosity. She sat down on the edge in front of me and looked up at Edward's window. "What did you two get into this weekend?"

"We decided on an arrangement," I explained, turning around to eye him up with her.

"An arrangement?"

"We meet three times a week, Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday. No commitments, no business, and no assumptions." I crossed my legs and looked up to gauge her reaction.

"Well, it certainly sounds like you've got this all figured out," she chided sarcastically.

"Except Mr. Dean's banquet is this Friday."

"Uh oh. What are you gonna tell the stalker?"

I ignored her nickname. "Well, I suppose he's 'shit out of luck,' isn't he? Besides, business before pleasure, right? He knows that's the rule."

"Does he? Because, it certainly doesn't look like he's too thrilled with the idea of somebody else sending you flowers."

I shrugged. "It doesn't appear he has too much to say about it either. I did tell him not to call me at work anymore, but that doesn't excuse the fact that he hasn't so much as looked at me all day."

"Do you think he's jealous?" Alice asked.

I stood and walked closer to the window. "It doesn't matter if he is. He's got nothing to do with Mr. Dean anymore."

Alice took a deep breath and shook her head. "The incredible, edible Mr. Dean."

"Alice, do you know who he is? Have you ever seen this man?"

"Oh God, another obsession? Why don't you focus on one at a time? Look, you obsessed over Cullen for a month, and now you're fucking him. Do me a favor. Do not get obsessed with anybody else."

"Alice, I'm not obsessed with Mr. Dean, not in the slightest. He's just . . . so beautiful." I turned to my keyboard and typed William S. Dean in the google search bar, hoping for some stellar pictures. I was able to pull up a great shot of him with his ex-girlfriend, running from a hotel to a car parked on the street. There were hundreds of these pictures. It seemed Mr. Dean was a lot more open with the media than I suspected. The media, in turn, adored him.

Alice's eyes raised in response. "Now, that is my kind of sexy! Holy crap, Bella! You're screwing around with Scrambled Eggs when this gorgeous Dare Devil wants you to pull his parachute?" Alice's face immediately shifted to astonishment. "Isabella! Marie! Swan! You need to end this thing with Cullen, and start screwing the Brit, ASAP!"

Alice's outburst left me rolling. Of course she would think that Mr. Dean was gorgeous. He was perfect, almost too perfect. "No, no, no, Alice," I chuckled, shaking my head in obvious disagreement. "I mean, he's beautiful, don't get me wrong. But there's just something about him that doesn't sit right with me. It's like he's too good looking, too smart, too wealthy. You know if something seems too good to be true, it probably is."

"And Cullen?"

"That's definitely not too good to be true. That's almost too complicated to be plausible."

Alice started laughing and stood to walk away. "What am I to do with you, Isabella Swan?"

"Order me some curtains, and don't forget to call Sherry," I shouted after her. She shot me a smile before disappearing into her office.

I blankly stared at Mr. Dean's image beaming back at me from the computer screen, slowly moving the cursor back to the google search box and anxiously typing in "Edward Cullen, Cullen Inc" before hitting enter. Search returned 250,000 results. Holy Crap!

I scrolled down, quickly looking through the search summaries as I did. Finally landing on Wikipedia, I decided this site would probably be the best way to get a quick overview. A beautiful picture of him popped up on the right hand side of my screen. He was wearing that green button-down that set me wild last week, a pair of slacks and his hair was tousled as usual. He must run his hands through that wonderful mess a thousand times a day.

Wanting a better view, I turned around and looked at him through the window. As if on cue, he ran both hands through his bronze locks and twirled a loose strand around his index finger. I smiled and turned back to my Wiki-Edward computer page.

_"Edward Anthony Cullen is the CEO of the advanced technology agency, Cullen Incorporated. He is best known for his involvement in the Worlds Technology Bill that, with his support and funding, opened the door for the EITI Act (pro. E-Tee), Exchange of International Technology Information." _

Wow! I'd heard of EITI in publications and even donated some funds to their cause in recent years because it seemed like a good thing to get behind, but I never knew he had taken part in it. If the U.N. was better able to exchange technological advances with each other, the world would be able to create unimaginable things. It would modernize America's technology, and perhaps put an end to global warming, cancer, AIDS, and thousands of other ailments. I found the development of science and technology to be essential for the human species to evolve into the future. The fact that Edward was so extremely involved in this bill getting passed made him even more delicious in my eyes.

"**Early Life & Career**'

_'Edward Cullen was born June 20, 1980-" _

HAH! He's older than me. GEEZER!

_"-to Carlisle Cullen, founder and former CEO of Cullen Inc, and his wife, Esme. Edward attended Harvard and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a dual degree in Business and Information Technology. He has been influential in passing several legislative initiatives that will open the trade of technology information. Edward Cullen has been quoted as saying 'We are one world, and it's time our technology represents that.'" _

_**Relationships**  
_

_"Throughout the majority of his interviews, Edward has remained very tight lipped about his personal life. He was photographed at a diner in France with Laetitia Casta in 2003. It can only be assumed that their romance was short lived, as they were never seen together again and she is now engaged to Italian actor, Stefano Accorsi. Edward was named one of MSN's "Most Eligible Men in America," four years in a row. If he has been involved with anyone, it was not a public romance." _

So that was short and sweet. He was smart, educated, involved in politics, had spent time overseas. He had done so much with his short life, yet so many people were not taking him seriously. Perhaps they were scared of his youth. Then again, I was a year younger than him and a woman. It was stereotypical for men to shy away from me.

So then, why was Dean bailing on Cullen Inc and jumping into Dyco's open embrace?

Maybe he was exaggerating about how many people were really fleeing Edward's company. If his stocks were supposedly plummeting, why wasn't I receiving more phone calls about potential buyers? I strummed my nails anxiously on the desk as I contemplating looking up the financial information on CI.

Just then, my phone chirped. I looked to the caller ID, realizing it was Alice, and pressed the speaker button.

"Hey."

"Okay, curtains to be installed tomorrow morning and Sherry said Cullen Inc. was on the list of reserved tables for Saturday night. It was a colleague's birthday party," she explained. I pursed my lips in confusion. It appeared Edward was actually being sincere. He wasn't following me around and Saturday really had been a coincidence. "Are you ready for the next meeting?"

"I suppose. I'll be out in five minutes." I ended the call and exited out of my internet window. Turning off my computer screen, I grabbed my notes and stood to leave. Just as I turned from my chair, I glanced out of my window one last time. Edward was still sitting at his desk, typing away at his computer.

I sighed and stormed out of my office.

This board meeting was not as bad as the first with the older business associates. Old and gray, they enjoyed sitting around and discussing sales figures and net worth, the most boring parts of my job. This board meeting was with the young, geeky nerds from research who, in my opinion, were absolutely awesome. They came up with the most interesting ideas.

Today, I was going to get a first glimpse at the "Fridge of the Future" as they called it. It looked like a normal refrigerator: stainless steel, french door style with a ice maker and a water dispenser. The thing about this fridge was that it had a panel on the front where you could get online, order food, listen to music, or even make phone calls. It was touch screen and looked like a over-sized Iphone embedded above the ice maker. The fridge had two speakers on the top of the doors that blasted the music. It even had a little bass at the bottom to give the fridge some bump. I laughed and told the geeks that they had truly outdone themselves.

At ten o'clock that evening, I was still sitting in my office preparing my presentation for Mr. Dean's banquet. I knew it was getting late, I knew I should be headed home and, after I finished the last sentence, I saved the document and turned my computer off. I relaxed into my chair, throwing my head over the back of the chair to run my fingers through my hair and scratch the most or sensitive areas of my scalp. At the end of my stretch, I pulled myself forward and fell onto my desk, my forehead smashing into the hard wood with a resounding thud. I hit my head again, and again, once more just for good measure.

_What am I going to do? What a mess I've gotten myself into._

When I lifted my head back up, I looked around my office aimlessly. I found myself refusing to budge, refusing to leave. Even though I'd told Edward not to call me, a strange part of me wanted him to disobey that order. Part of me wanted to talk to him. Part of me needed to talk to him.

I wondered what he was doing. Was he still in his office? Was he looking at me?

Against my better judgment, I swung my chair around to face the windows, grabbing my binoculars from my top desk drawer to set my focus on CI headquarters. Edward was hunched over his desk, chowing down Chinese food and clicking away at his keyboard, looking fuckably preoccupied.

Sighing in frustration, I gathered my things, picked up my over-sized bouquet and turned off my lights before sulking out through my office door. I headed down to the hallway to the elevators, hoping to score one already on my level.

Blast!

It seemed I'd have to wait.

Ninety seconds seemed like torture when one was thinking of running back into one's office, stripping off one's clothes, and throwing themselves against the window for all of New York City to see. On second thought, screw the rest of New York, they could look if they wanted. The only person I really cared about would have front row seats.

I was still staring at my office door when the elevator opened in front of me. _"Last chance . . . "_ wild, carefree Bella urged. I felt my body scream for me to do it, but my sensible mind propelled my feet forward. _"Chicken shit!"_ wild Bella thought. I shook the idea from my head.

_Screw you. You had your fun at nineteen. Now that I'm twenty eight, I can't afford to be careless anymore._

I struggled to contain myself in the elevator. The anxiety inside of me threatened to pop at the seams. Exploding with frustration at the fact that he had ignored me the entire day. Something inside of me just couldn't handle that. I had grown accustomed to his eyes assaulting my body, and I somehow didn't want that to end. It was as if I was becoming addicted to the way it felt when he looked at me.

I gasped as the realization hit me. _That can not be good._ Thank God, Mom was coming into town tomorrow. I could use some of her wacky, hair-brained advice right about now. She'd certainly put things into perspective for me.

I batted a flower out of my face and looked at the massive amount Mr. Dean had actually sent me. I examined it closer and decided that the vase was quite obnoxious and rather bulbous with it's huge quarter-sized bumps. The thing weighed at least thirty pounds.

I rolled my eyes and balanced it's weight on my hip like you would an infant, absolutely irritated that I would have to drive home with this thing in my car. Just how exactly was I supposed to keep it from tipping over and spilling water all over the place?

Now that I was in a confined space, I wasn't even sure I liked how roses smelled. I sighed and wondered what I should do with this thing. I could throw them away, but these flowers gave their life to be in this vase right now. It's only right that somebody enjoy them. Maybe I could pawn them off on Renee tomorrow.

The elevator doors finally opened and I rushed into the lobby, shooting a smile at Ollie, who nodded and waved my direction. I pushed through the revolving glass doors, wandered to the street and looked at Edward's building. It's entrance was blocked by the giant, silver statue letters "CI" that sat in the middle of a little pond. I tilted my head to the side and took a few steps, attempting to see around it.

"Who you lookin' for, Ms. Swan?" a deep voice said from behind me. I jumped a little and turned to see Ollie with his flashlight, flicking it on to point at the entrance for CI. "Do you see somethin' over there?" he asked suspiciously.

I shook my head and heaved a deep sigh of relief. "No, Ollie. I don't see anything at all."

"Then, what you searchin' for?"

"What do you mean?"

"For six years, you come out of that elevator and you go directly to your fancy car. Do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars. Yet, this past week, you walk out that door to this exact spot and stop to look around. Then, you slump your shoulders and walk away. And, not once in six years have you ever been walking to your fancy car with some flowers. So I'll ask ya again, what you searchin' for?" Ollie explained. He stood about five foot five, a little over weight, with an "All Bark, No Bite" attitude. He had to look up in order to lecture me, which I found mildly amusing.

I smiled to myself. _Wow, what an observant security guard._ I suppose Ollie and I had gotten closer over the past few years. I had treated him to dinner several times on the company account. Late night Ollie breaks, I would call them. I'd order the food, go downstairs and talk with him while I waited for it to be delivered. He had been married for over thirty years to his wonderful wife, Rhonda. They had four beautiful children together, the youngest of which just graduated from college. Typically, he talked about himself, and I listened because, up until now, I hadn't had anything important to add to the conversation.

I awkwardly chuckled and looked down to my car keys that I was fiddling with in my hands. What _have_ I been searching for? I wasn't quite sure. "I don't really know," I sighed.

"Well, I know that ain't the truth. But, if that's your answer, I suppose I'll just have to waddle my tired old ass back into my chair-"

"Ollie," I interrupted, trying anything to stop him. "Do you want these flowers?" I held the vase out to him.

"Now what would I want those flowers for?"

"Perhaps you could give them to your wife. They're too pretty to throw away, and I don't want them," I urged, placing the vase in his hands. I pulled the card out of the top and shoved it in my purse.

"Someone spent good money on these flowers for you. Are you sure?"

"Yes, Ollie. Tell Rhonda you saved all week to buy them. Perhaps you even cut back on cigarettes to do so." I gave Ollie a gentle smile and turned to walk away.

He grabbed my arm to stop me. "Ms. Swan, I've got somethin' to say. Come back inside for a few minutes." Ollie turned to walk back through the revolving glass doors, gesturing for me to follow him.

I brushed my hair behind my head and took a few hesitant steps forward, circling through the door and meeting Ollie on the other side. "What's going on?"

He set the flowers on a nearby table and turned to walk back towards me. "Ms. Swan, I'm not one to pry, but you know I review the security tapes at night once everyone leaves . . . including the parking garage surveillance."

My heart jumped into my throat. I knew where he was headed with this. My cheeks began to burn as embarrassment flooded my entire body. I wanted to run away screaming, but my body was frozen. I had to hear him out.

"I don't know what you're up to, but it ain't hard to guess. I certainly hope you know what you're doing." He paused then for emphasis. "On the other hand, you've never looked happier. What you do and who you do is your business. I don't judge and I won't say nothing. But just so you know, I deleted the tape. If you ask me, the camera's weren't working that night, so don't be surprised if you get a bill for a service on the security system."

I wasn't quite sure that I was actually hearing what he was saying to me right now. "Why would you do that for me? Why wouldn't you turn me in?"

"Well, believe it or not, Ms. Swan, I was once a hot young thing myself. I had my fun in a few parking garages of my own. Who you were with is none of my business. But I'm telling you now, don't let it happen again. You keep that shit at home. If someone else were to watch the tapes before I did . . . my dear, you'd find yourself in a pickle."

"Thank you, Ollie," I stuttered. I suddenly felt an intense urge to get the hell out of there. I was left feeling little embarrassed that Ollie had seen the video tape. It was like my grandpa had walked in on my boyfriend and I screwing on his couch, and he was about to whoop some sense into me.

"You always been nice to me, I owe you that much," Ollie explained as he stood.

I chuckled and muttered, "thanks," before walking through the revolving glass doors and out to the street. I avoiding looking around and walked directly to the parking garage, not passing go and not receiving two hundred dollars, as Ollie put it. I'd have to remember to make sure that man's bonus was exceptionally larger this year.

As I turned the corner and walked to my Mercedes, I pressed unlock on my remote and climbed into the driver's seat to start the ignition. I shifted the car into reverse and pulled out on to the street, instantly hating the thought of being alone for the first night in over a week. As I sat in traffic on the ride home, I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel anxiously. Tonight was bound to be horrible.

And it was.

Mercilessly horrible.

I tossed and turned for most of the evening. I'd even watched the rest of _Interview With a Vampire_ in desperate attempts to take my mind off the situation. Every time I tried, something would remind me of Edward, and I'd reel about the affair again.

Alice was right; this was turning into an obsession.

Tuesday morning came, and I rolled my tired ass out of bed five minutes before my alarm went off. I hadn't slept at all. I trudged downstairs and turned on the coffee maker, deciding that I would need the fake energy today. I went back upstairs and climbed into my shower, remembering that it was Tuesday once I was inside. My mom was coming to see me today.

Thank God! Maybe she could sort things out for me. She was much more perceptive than I often gave her credit for.

Once I was clean, I grabbed my towel and sauntered to my closet, also remembering that today was the day I would tease the crap out of my pseudo-boyfriend. Hah! It was gonna be fun.

White curtains plus nighttime plus spotlight in my office equals a silhouette of cock-tease proportions.

I chose a little white dress with a sheer layer that wrapped over top with a bunch of little flower designs across it, and clung to my body like it was made just for me. This would be perfect for my devious scheme. I threw on the Gucci fuck-me heels and trudged back into my bathroom in order to pin up my hair and do my makeup. I put the top half in two clips behind my head but let the soft brown ringlets fall around my shoulders. That seemed to drive him wild.

I added the finishing touches, double checked my reflection and headed downstairs. After I poured myself some coffee and picked up my purse to head for the door, I headed down the hallway to the elevators and pushed the down button for the lobby. I switched my purse to my other shoulder and raised the coffee mug to my mouth in order for me to take a sip of the heavenly bliss that is the cocoa bean.

The silver doors opened and, much to my dismay, there was no Edward. Again, I wasn't really expecting him, but it would have been nice.

I walked inside and pressed the button for the lobby, humming along with the orchestra music playing over the speaker. A few notes into it, recognition dawned on me. Aerosmith's _Love in an Elevator._

My head fell to my hands and suddenly, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I sighed and remembered being pushed up against the railing to my left, his sweet lips on mine just yesterday morning and how my thighs quivered at the thought of his pelvis pressed against mine.

The doors opened and snapped me back to reality. I smiled at the people boarding as I passed them and walked into the lobby, through the revolving glass doors and out to the street. Once I'd arrived at work, I walked down my hallway and opened the door to my office. Thank God, no flowers this time. I giggled to myself and walked over to my desk, admiring my new white curtains as I threw my purse down on my chair. The drapes were thin, much thinner than I wanted them to be. Edward would probably be able to see through these, but no matter. They would cast a shadow all the same.

I walked over to the chain hanging at the center and gave it a good tug. The curtains gracefully slid away from each other, shrouding my office in the muffled gray light from outside. The storm clouds were out again today. It would probably begin to rain any second. Perfect spy weather. The windows would be crystal clear.

I grabbed my binoculars and looked up to Edward's office, who was sitting in his chair and, surprisingly, staring back at me. He looked gorgeous as ever, his hair in it's typical disarray, but he had chosen a black business suit today instead of his typical button down and khakis. When he noticed I was looking at him, he flipped up a sign that read, "Curtains?"

I shot him a playful smile and nodded my head before sticking my tongue out at him. He gave me one of the sexiest smiles I've ever seen, and returned the gesture.

"Knock, Knock!" Alice greeted as she walked into my office.

"Hey, Alice. What's up?" I replied as I turned to her and sat down.

"I received an email from Jenks this morning. He'll be on vacation for an extra couple of weeks, but didn't say how long," Alice explained.

"Wonderful." I snorted as I turned to my desk and flicked on my computer.

"Good to see you're in high spirits," she teased with a hint of sarcasm to her tone. "I'll move on. You have the Technology Tour of America coming up in two weeks. I've already made all of your hotel arrangements. I assume you'll want me there as well?"

_Oh shit! _

The TTA. How could I have forgotten about that? It was a host of conventions held around the country with the intent of attracting potential buyers. Every CEO, owner and client of any respected technology corporation made sure they were in attendance to showcase new inventions, speak at a couple of functions, and meet with representatives from around America. It typically raked in millions.

Last year, Carlisle had spoken at every convention that I had, which means . . .

"Exactly. Edward will be at every single event with you," Alice added as if reading my mind. I'm sure the suddenly shocked look on my face gave away my arrant thought. "Like I was saying, I've already made the arrangements. Jenks' email said that he would meet us in Baltimore which is the second stop. I'll get to work on an itinerary." She paused to look at me, but I was staring off into space. I'd barely heard a thing she said. "Bella? Are you listening?"

"Yes, I'm just thinking," I replied, still overwhelmed with the fact that Edward would be actively competing against me during those weeks of convention after convention.

"Well, stop that and listen up," Alice chastised as she put her hand on her hip. "It's two weeks this year, instead of three. They've cut some cities off the list. We're headed to: Boston, Baltimore, Orlando, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and then back here for the New York convention."

"Okay, well, make sure the research and development team is prepared, organize my presentations-"

"Would you like me to organize your life as well?" she hissed as she crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

"If it's on the menu. Now fly, fly! I have to finish this damned presentation before Friday."

"Have fun with that!"

_Damn, damn, damn!_ Those stupid conventions had completely slipped my mind. Well, on the bright side, at least I was prepared. I had been planning it for months, and only recently neglected to think about the TTA - with good reason, I suppose.

About a half an hour later, Alice barged into my office, once again, followed by two men delivering what appeared to be photography lights. That's right. My evil scheme was being realized. I signed the delivery invoice as the two men left.

"Spotlights?" Alice asked as she threw her hands on her hips.

"Yes, I like to have a lot of light at night, when I'm working," I explained - poorly, I might add. I was a bad liar.

"Uh huh . . . and I suppose the curtains are because you don't like a lot of light during the day?"

"No, the curtains keep unwanted spies from spying," I jested.

Alice gave me a chuckle and then nodded her head. "You're a silly girl, you know that? Next time, Ikea is right down the street. Buy some lamps." Alice turned on her heels and walked through the door, shutting it on her way out.

Around eleven, my mother called. She was in town and was about five minutes away. I told her to call back when she was downstairs, and I would meet her outside. I grabbed my purse, turned off my computer and darted out of my office, overly excited that she was actually here. I needed her advice so badly.

Catching an elevator down to the lobby, I immediately spotted the familiar dirty-blond head waiting in a car on the street, pushing buttons frantically on her cellphone while screaming at it. Renee and technology had never been friends.

I walked out the ever revolving glass door and over to my mother's blue Honda Accord, opening the door and startling her a little bit, but climbing in anyway. I instantly felt calmed by her presence.

"How ya doin' mom?" I greeted, leaning over to wrap my arms around her neck. She smiled and gave me a kiss on the cheek before embracing me as well.

"Hi, honey. Wow! You look amazing. Who's cutting your hair these days?" she joked, giving me the good ole' once over.

"Jake, of course. Jake always cuts my hair," I replied matter-of-factly. She pulled out into traffic and headed down to the Tex-Mex place Alice and I went to a few days ago. Renee _loved_ their enchiladas.

"So, how's life? How's work?" Renee had actually managed to hold off on prying until we reached the restaurant and taken our seats. I secretly snuck a peek at my watch. _Twenty whole minutes._ That's got to be a record.

"Good, and even better," I answered in a dry tone.

"Uh oh."

_Oh God, here it comes._

"It's a guy," she proclaimed.

I took a deep breath of relief. I wouldn't have to be the one to bring it up.

I spilled my guts to her. I told her everything I was doing, and how I was throwing my job on the line, but that there was something very interesting and appealing about him. She said she had heard of him, and had seen him on a few interviews, but not much more than that. She admired his beauty and commended me on finding such a catch.

"Honey, sometimes, you can't help who you're attracted to. Sometimes, gravity just pulls you the way it wants you to go. I'm totally in that phase of my life right now. I'm so into the forces of the Earth. If you focus hard enough, you can even see these forces."

"Mom, you need to stop reading whatever hippie, mother earth mindless babble you're into these days. It's making you crazy."

"I'm tellin' ya, Bells. You've got no control over what happens from here on out." Renee had a tendency to be a creature of changing fads. She was big on Atkins when that was really popular and I'm certain she'd do anything Oprah told her to. "So, when do I get to meet this Ethan?"

"Edward," I corrected, "and I'm not sure you will. We're not dating, mom. Just, ya know, screwing around, I suppose."

"But you're conflicted?"

"He's my enemy."

"So break it off."

I shook my head. "Something inside of me won't let the words come to my lips."

"Well, see. That's what I'm talking about. The forces of the Earth." She shook her head and took a sip of her water. "Let the chips fall where they may. You'll be fine, no matter what you decide." With that, she brushed her hand against my cheek and looked down to the menu.

The rest of the meal was spent catching up on what her and her husband, Paul, had been doing recently. They were getting into landscaping, Feng shui-ing the backyard in order to allow positive chi to come to them. I laughed at my mother's zany ideas.

She dropped me off at my building after our lunch and I returned to my office in order to set my devious plan into motion. I circled my desk and sat down in my chair, dedicated to getting these speeches done before any shadow dancing could begin. I would be prepared to outshine CI this year, and I hoped the buyers would come rolling in. In order for that to happen, I would need a top notch presentation.

Around nine thirty, I decided that my work was done for the day, and my scheme needed to begin. I looked over to Edward's office. He was still there. Perfect.

I stalked over to my photography spot lights, plugged them into the wall and adjusted the beam directly at the window. I flicked them on and off a few times, attempting to get his attention.

His head perked up and he looked over his shoulder, swiveling the chair around to face me. I stalked over to my white curtains and shut them completely, giggling to myself at what I was about to do. I looked at the curtain and realized that the shadow play was working perfectly. I walked closer to the lights, just to make sure the silhouette would appear exactly in the middle of the window.

Suddenly, my heart began pounding in my chest and my palms grew very sweaty. I was getting a little nervous about doing this. I closed my eyes and ran my hands over my body, imagining it was Edward. I ran my fingers over the shoulder of my dress and allowed it to fall off my arm. I then turned to my side, making sure he got the best view of what I was about to do. I pulled the entire thing over my head and held it out in front of me, dropping it to the floor in a seductive manner. I then unsnapped my bra, doing the exact same thing with it.

Just then, my phone rang.

_Bah! Are you kidding me? Sucker didn't last two minutes. I didn't even start dancing yet._

I ran over to my desk and picked up the phone, making sure to bend over in such a way that would drive him wild.

"Ms. Swan, what are you doing?"

"I spilled something on my dress, I had to get it off," I answered as innocently as possible.

"You're a terrible liar. And you're only teasing yourself, dear. You know the rules." This three times a week thing was not going to work for me.

"Who said I was doing all of this to tease you?"

"Then, I suppose you're casting naked shadows on your office window for the pleasure of the cleaning crew in my building?"

"The cute blond on the thirteenth floor," I joked, wiggling my ass a little in the air.

"Are you attempting to prematurely seduce me, Ms. Swan?"

"Perhaps, but, if it isn't working, I suppose I'll just . . ." I sashayed to the lights and flicked them off.

"Aw, see. I was just kidding. You didn't have to go and do that."

A few silent seconds passed between us.

"Is everything okay - ya' know - between us?" I blurted out, instantly hitting my palm against my head for my big mouth.

He sighed and then whispered, "hmm . . ."

"Hmm?" I asked as I pulled one of my curtains back to look at him.

"We can talk about that later."

With that, he hung up the phone and turned to leave his office.

I placed the receiver back on the hook and turned on my desk lamp in order to look for my clothing. I snatched my bra from the floor as I reattached it around my body and threw my dress back over my head. I grabbed my purse as I flicked off the lamp and raced down my hallway to the elevator. I must have slammed my finger on the down button about fifty times. The damn thing couldn't get here fast enough. Finally, the doors opened and I bolted inside, pressing the button for the lobby. When I'd finally reached that level, I ran through the space and waved at Ollie on my way out.

I practically bolted for the parking garage, hoping to find him waiting for me. Once I'd turned the corner, my hopes were confirmed. He was leaning against the driver side door, looking unbelievably beautiful and, when his glance met mine, a smug smile crossed his face. I ran up to him, wanting to throw my arms around his neck; but then I remembered the video cameras, and I stopped two feet away.

"Get in," he demanded as I hit the unlock button on the remote and tossed the keys in his direction.

I didn't waste any time following directions tonight.

**A/N: I promise an extra lemony chapter next round. Once again, I've written so much, that I already have the next chapter halfway done. I'm going to finish Chapter Nine very soon. :-) Thanks for Reading and please please please leave a review! I absolutely adore hearing from you guys!  
**


	9. Control

**A/N: Okay.. Wow! Thank you so much to everyone who has been reading and voting for this crazy idea I had one day. You guys rock. Special extra thanks to Beth AKA EJ Santry for getting me back on track. So, here we go.**

**So, um. Some things you'll need to know. A blind in poker is when you throw in a bet before the cards are turned over so that there is something in the pile to go on. The Flop is the first three cards turned over, the Turn is the next one, and the River is the last. Of those five cards, you have to come up with the best hand given the two cards you are dealt. I hope that makes sense. Google "Texas Hold 'Em" if you want to know more.**

**So, here it is, Chapter nine. I hope you all enjoy it and please please leave reviews!!**

Chapter 9  
"Control"

"So, if you weren't upset, why didn't you want to look at me yesterday?" My voice quivered with the slightest bit of frustration. This man was confusing me more than I was willing to let myself admit.

"I wasn't aware that you required my undivided attention. Perhaps you should have made that clear in the original arrangement."

"I said nothing about your undivided attention. But not even so much as a wave? A smile?"

"I said hi to you today, didn't I?"

"No, actually. I believe you said 'curtains?'"

I took a deep breath and continued to look out my window.

He was right. I was overreacting . . . quite a bit. It was the logical thing to do, given my situation. I didn't know what was going on between us, and uncertainty only bred stress as it festered in the back of my mind. Stress forced me to be impulsive and act without thinking.

I looked at the situation from an outside perspective and immediately considered my actions irrational. Of course, Edward wouldn't be upset about flowers. I mean, who gets upset about flowers? Honestly?

I was becoming the most conflicted person in the world. Edward wouldn't be jealous about the stupid flowers because he didn't know who they were from. Had he known, he might have a little more to say about the situation. However, that wasn't a conversation I planned on having if he didn't deem it necessary.

Regardless, I'd spent the majority of the day worrying about it instead of focusing on outshining him at these conventions that were coming up in two weeks. This realization only made me more uncomfortable. This affair . . . relationship . . . mind-blowing sexual arrangement was only making me distracting me at work, and that was absolutely and irrevocably unacceptable.

Which is probably the reason he stopped looking my direction on Monday.

That's no excuse for my actions. Wild, impulsive Bella had been suppressed so many years ago. She may be struggling to break free, but I couldn't allow that to happen. Sensible Bella had gotten me this far, and sensible Bella would not have allowed my behavior earlier. If only I had listened to her today. If only she had been the predominate voice in my head.

Instead, wild Bella had sent the order for the lights and the curtains in a desperate attempt to seduce him earlier than planned. Wild Bella had created this mess, and now sensible Bella would be responsible for cleaning it up. I had never allowed a man to outperform me, nor would Edward. I needed to keep that in the back of my mind as I moved forward.

I'd said it before, yet I refused to listen to myself at the time. This needed to end, professionally anyway. Any and all attachment to him while I was in my office was simply unallowable. What I did today was unbelievable. Ollie had warned me, and I now felt like that warning needed to be taken seriously. _Keep that shit at home._

My personal life needed to stay personal.

From now on, that's what I intended to do.

Business before pleasure, Bella. Business before pleasure.

No more premature acts of seduction, no more assumptions, and no more teasing/playing/spying at work.

As a thousand ideas rattled off in my pathetic little mind, I concluded that worrying about this was only making me more delusional and I needed to stop.

I needed to stop right now.

"What are you brewing about over there?" he interrupted as he reached a hand over and brushed my cheek.

My gaping jaw snapped shut as embarrassment flooded my face. I ran my hands over my head and through my hair, rather abashed by how this evening had turned out.

"Bella?"

"Hmm?" I stammered, still looking out my window and refusing to meet his gaze.

"Are you okay?"

"You're right. That was the reason we came up with this agreement, wasn't it? To put some organization to an otherwise disastrous situation? We can't allow our personal life to bleed over professionally. My behavior today was out of line. The curtains, the lights, what I said a few seconds ago, it was childish. I suppose I owe you an apology," I explained, rolling my eyes at how idiotic I could be sometimes.

Edward laughed and then brought his hand back to the steering wheel. "Wow, what a moment in your head must be like. This is really freaking you out, isn't it?"

"Edward, let me just give you a little lesson in Bella 101. I do not let my guard down, ever. I do not seduce or become seduced by anyone associated with my job. I am not easily dazzled by men, nor am I easily convinced to do things out of character-"

He interrupted me before I could say anything else. "And you think I don't struggle with the same things?" Edward's eyebrows bounced up in surprise. "Look, if you're having problems separating work from . . . whatever this is . . . all you have to do is say so, and this ends." He looked over to me at that moment and must have seen something in my face that suggested he continue talking before I did. "If not, then calm the fuck down. You're starting to freak me out, and it takes a lot to do that."

I nodded and gave him a relieved smile.

"So, you're okay then," he reiterated.

"Yes." I took a deep breath and heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank you for being so . . ." _awesomely kick-ass_ ". . . decent about all of this. I'm sorry I had a mental breakdown on you."

"You're welcome," he whispered as he gave me a gentle nod.

The rest of the ride home was silent. He parked my car outside of our complex and circled around to open the door for me. I was already halfway out by the time he'd gotten there. He slammed it shut behind us and then walked closer as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and looked either direction in case there was somebody watching.

We strolled into the lobby and over to the elevators, where someone was just getting off. We snuck into that one as the doors were closing and stood on opposite sides of the enclosure. I pressed my palms against the cool metal railing and aimlessly looked around.

Every time I enter this elevator, I am reminded of our encounter and how it was so bluntly cut short. Cursed be the rapid electricity reboot in this city. Another ten minutes and I could have actually fucked Edward Cullen in this exact spot.

My eyes continued to wander and I finally caught his gaze, which was intently set on me.

"What are you thinking about, Mr. Cullen?" I teased, gently licking my lips in response to his sexy little grin.

"What gave you the idea for the curtains?" He leaned his head to one side and shot me an incredulous look.

His question took me off guard. I crossed my arms and pursed my lips, considering the correct response. "Why? Did you enjoy what you saw?"

"Hmm . . ." was his only response. The doors flew open and he gestured for me to go first. I glided out of the elevator and slowly walked down the hall. He lingered a few feet behind me, watching me walk. I could feel his stare on my back as we made our way to my door. I'm sure he was giving me _that look,_ the one that had made me so exhilarated on his first day of work. I know that it felt the same: a little objectified, a little desired, a little dangerous. It was disturbing how sexy I felt when he looked at me that way.

I snuck a glance over my shoulder. His eyes feral, his lips curled, his eyebrows relaxed_ . . . Oh yeah, that's the look._

We reached my loft and I slid the key into the lock, slowly turning it to the right and creaking the door open. I took a few steps into my foyer, throwing my purse and keys to the counter as I passed it, and walked into my living room before turning around to face him, swinging my arms out to the side as I did so. He was casually closing the distance between us, his hands crossed behind his business suit.

"So, we have an hour until Wednesday. What would you like to do in the meantime?" I asked, turning to him and steadying myself on my heels.

He stalked closer to me, that look of rabid sexual longing still his eyes. "Ms. Swan, do you play poker?"

I shot him a devious smile and coyly nodded my head. A few minutes later, I found myself sitting at my dining room table, shuffling a deck of cards in my hands.

"Texas Hold 'em. No wild card, and we're betting clothes," he explained as he took the deck from my hands and began to deal.

"What does the winner get?"

"Control," he answered delicately.

"Control? Of what, exactly?" I whispered as I leaned on the table closer to him.

"Of tomorrow." He shot me a wink as he dealt us two cards each and placed three on the flop. "Will you throw in your blind?"

I shot him a smile and took off an earring, tossing it in the middle of the table. He took off his class ring and threw it next to my earring.

As I shot him a devious grin, I looked down at the flop. He had turned over the queen of hearts, an eight of spades and a king of diamonds. I held a ten of clubs and an ace of diamonds in my hand. If I managed a joker on the turn or the river, I'd have a straight, and I'd probably beat him.

_Control. . . Of tomorrow . . . That sounded interesting._

"Okay, what's your bet?" he began, remaining stone faced.

"I bet my other earring," I joked, eliciting a small giggle at how ridiculous this seemed. I pulled off the jewelry and shot it into the pile forming in the middle of my table.

"I see your earring," he began as he took off his tie and threw it on the table. "And I raise you my belt," he added as his fingers trailed to his waist and began to unfasten the buckle. My eyes trailed down his body with his hands, and I found myself biting my lip to keep from telling him how turned on he was making me.

"I'll call," I whispered as I took off a shoe and threw it on the table. I shot him a wink and gestured for him to deal another card. He flipped over the turn, and revealed a jack of diamonds.

I won! I'd won the fucking game.

It was unlikely that he held a hand better than mine and I felt a twitter in my heart at those odds, but contained my feelings as much as possible, attempting to hold my best poker face.

_Control of tomorrow, eh? Prepare yourself, Cullen. You're in for a wild ride if I win this._

"What do you bet now?" he asked in the sexiest tone I've ever heard.

My hand shaking, I took off the other Gucci heel and placed it on the table.

"I see your shoe, and I raise you my jacket." He slid his expensive suit off his arms and tossed it in the pile on top of my shoe. He was wearing a white button-down underneath, something that was driving me absolutely wild at the moment.

"I'll call," I added as I took the pins out of my hair, throwing them on top of his jacket.

He scooted in his chair and picked up the next card on the deck. He laid it next to the Jack, and pulled his hand back to his lap. It was a King.

_Uh oh. _The chances of him having a full house just got a whole lot bigger.

My eyes shifted to his face and searched for a reaction to the river.

Nothing. Apathy.

His eyes darted from the table to me as he leaned forward and rested his weight on his elbows. "Your bet?"

I rested the tip of my tongue on my front teeth as I debated. I had to take a few minutes to figure out what I thought Edward held. He was relaxed, his hands casually placed on the table and his eyes pondering my move. I licked my lips in a nervous reaction as decided I had nothing to go on. I knew that I held a good hand, but that I should also play conservatively just in case he pulled a full house out of his ass.

"My necklace." I unhooked my gold four leaf clover on a chain and placed it next to my pins.

"I see your necklace, and I raise you my shirt." He took off his shoes, tossing them to the side of the room, and then diverted his attention to his buttons. He slipped each one through its hole at a slow, tortuous pace. My clit twitched as he pulled it from his body, revealing a white tee shirt underneath, and tossed it on top of his jacket.

"I see your shirt . . ." I whimpered, grasping at the sheer part of my dress. I pulled it over my head and flopped it on top of the pile. I realized at this moment that the game was rigged. He had more clothes on than I did. ". . . and I raise you my panties."

I stood and slowly drew my hands up my thighs towards my hips. I tugged at the blue cotton fabric, inched them down and stepped out once they were on the floor. I bent over, picked them up and shot him a wink as I threw them on top of his shirt.

The wild look in his eyes grew more intense as he lingered on my every move. My heart began to pound in my chest, forcing me to sit in order to catch my breath. "Your bet."

His eyes gazed at me for a few more seconds as if he was assessing what he knew about me and applying to the game. He tilted his head to the side and gave me a seductive smile. "I see your panties, so to speak, and I raise you my undershirt." He spoke slowly, teasing me with each syllable as the words flowed from this lips.

I looked down and realized that I was left wearing my white, spaghetti strap dress and a bra. "Well, I guess I'm all in," I replied, shooting him a sheepish smile.

"Tell me, Ms. Swan. What combination of cards lie under those perfect alabaster palms?"

The light hanging over my dining room table illuminated the brilliant green of his eyes and cast shadows of his hair over his face in a tantalizing way. He was teasing me, and he knew it. Licking my lips, I flipped my cards over to reveal a straight.

"Hm . . . Not bad, Swan. Perhaps luck is on your side tonight." I allowed a sudden flutter to come to my heart. "However . . ." His hands swept over his cards and flipped them face up in one quick motion.

A king and an eight.

I stood and leaned over the table, staring at his hand. "Full house," I whispered.

_The bastard beat me._

_Oh . . . well, __that just won't do._

He rose and walked behind me, crossing his arms behind his back as he leaned down to my ear.

"My winnings . . . Ms. Swan."

I pushed myself off the table and reached my hands behind my back to unhook my bra, sliding it from my body and throwing it to the table. I bent down to pull off my dress, but Edward's firm hands on my hips stopped me.

"Allow me," he whispered as his hands glided up my waist, dragging the ever so thin fabric with them. The heat from his touch radiated against my back and his breath trickled down my neck and shoulders, causing my legs quiver in response. I instantly hated my hormones for giving him so much. He'd beaten me. I should be pissed right now. Any other time, I'd be throwing a fit, cursing the heavens, proclaiming a rematch.

_Best two out of three!_

But now, all I seemed to be able to focus on was the pressure of his soft fingertips at the base of my neck. He'd scrunched my dress the entire way up, and my back was now bare to him. I felt _the look_ fall upon me again. He was eyeing me up . . . and I was loving every second of it.

"You _are _radiant, Ms. Swan," Edward whispered as I felt my last bit of clothing glide over my head. He gave me a kiss on the shoulder and gently laid it over our pile of his "winnings."

I breathed an uneasy sigh of anxiety. I was excited for what tonight would bring, but I was nervous about this "control of tomorrow" business he mentioned. I hope he didn't mean control of _everything_ tomorrow because there are just certain parts of my life he couldn't lay a claim to. I had to go to work, I had to have lunch with Rose, I had to finalize the work for Mr. Dean.

My body shook as I turned my head to the side. I felt his lips on the back of my neck, the nape of my shoulders, the tip of my spine; gentle little kisses, and then a sudden nibble at my ear lobe. "What exactly did you have in mind as far as controlling tomorrow?" I managed to utter. My heart pounded in my chest and my breathing grew heavy as I realized I couldn't wait to hear this.

He circled around me and brought his lips centimeters from my ear. "For twenty four hours, your orgasms belong to me. You do not come until I tell you."

"Oh yeah?" I laughed an awkward, breathless chuckle and looked up at him. "And how would you fare in a situation such as this?"

"Perhaps you can tell me someday, if you can beat me."

"Is that a challenge, Mr. Cullen?"

"Only if you accept." He smiled at me and then glanced at the microwave. "And it is now officially Wednesday."

I went to say something snide and sarcastic, but his lips were on mine the second he was done speaking. I wrapped my hands behind his head, intertwining them in his beautiful bronze locks as his fingers traced up and down my naked spine. Goosebumps swelled over every inch of my skin from his touch.

His hands eventually found their way to the back of my thighs and he pulled me up, lifting my legs around his waist as he began walking toward my stairs. He climbed them amazingly well, considering he was balancing my weight in addition to his own.

Once in my room, he threw me onto the bed and turned on the lamp on my bedside table.

He casually walked to the middle of the space and circled around, as if looking for something. I put my hands behind me and leaned back, perking my eyebrow in suspicion.

"Ms. Swan, a few nights ago, I stopped by for a visit and you had already begun without me. Do you remember the night I'm talking about?"

A hint of blush came to my cheeks as I recalled the embarrassing night. "Yes."

"Where do you happen to keep such things?"

My eyes instinctively shot to my closet for a second before bouncing back to him in disbelief.

_Holy. Fucking. Sweet. Jesus._

Edward wanted to play with toys. Perhaps luck was on my side tonight after all.

"Why do you want to know?" I jested.

"Bella, who won the poker game?"

"You did."

"That's right. And what were the terms?"

I crossed my legs and rolled my eyes at him, obviously knowing the correct answer but refusing to admit it. "Your terms, by the way."

"I didn't hear a protest at the time."

"I've known you a week, Mr. Cullen. Other men have gone years without seeing inside my treasure chest. Why don't you tell me what it is you're looking for and I'll go grab it?" With that, I rose and began walking towards him.

"And that is perhaps the reason why you no longer fuck those men. You didn't trust them." He put his hands on my shoulders and began pushing me back towards the bed.

"Who says I trust you?" I stopped moving, staring up into his beautiful emerald eyes as he gave me a warm smile.

"Do you have any reason not to?" he whispered, giving me a gentle kiss on my neck. _You win, Cullen._ I pursed my lips, and raised my eyebrows in intrigue. There was a long pause. "I didn't think so. Get on the bed. I bet I can find it myself."

I turned on my heels and marched back to my mattress, finding some sort of refuge in the soft, blue down comforter.

He put one finger to his lips and shook his head as he admired my appearance. "Now, are you the type of woman to hide her toys under the bed?" Edward sauntered around the wooden frame and casually glanced down to the floor, seeming to ponder where I would hide such things. He shook his head and then looked to my dresser. "In the sock drawer? Perhaps the underwear?" He turned again and took a step toward my walk-in chamber of secrets.

"No, no, and no," he answered. "You hide your skeletons in your closet where they belong." He strolled across the space to my sliding closet door and pushed it open. He took two steps in and glanced from side to side. He took in the top rungs and then looked to the floor, instantly picking out the correct box.

It was dark mahogany and actually resembled something straight off Blackbeard's boat. It had that distinctively curved top that folded over the entire box, giving it a vintage feel. I'd found it in an antique store a couple of years ago, and once I'd noticed the two level interior, I just had to buy it. I felt like some sort of sex pirate, knowing that I kept my 'buried treasure' in it.

He flipped the top open, retrieved a few things, and snapped it shut again without a second glance. I perked my head around the corner in desperate attempts to see what he had grabbed but he had already hidden whatever it was in his pockets.

Edward walked back into the bedroom and slid the door closed behind him. The feral look returned to his eye as he stalked to the window and threw my curtains to either side before turning back to me. "Hit the light."

I shot him a smile and leaned over to turn off the lamp. Scooting towards the middle of the bed, I laid down and glanced back at him, eliciting a delicate whisper. "Well?"

"Remember, Ms. Swan. Those tight little squeezes, those distinctive moans, those fingers in my hair, they belong to me," he hissed as he took a few steps towards the edge of the bed.

I bent my legs and hooked my left over my right, pointing my toes at him seductively as I did so. "What will you do if I disobey?" I asked as I twirled a piece of my hair between my fingers.

He shook his head. "Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. I wouldn't do that if I were you." He gave me one last smile before crawling onto the bed from the bottom, inching closer as he wrapped his fingers around my ankle, slowly uncrossing my leg and pulling it back to my left hand side. Edward positioned himself in between my knees and kissed my calf before running his fingers up the lower part of my legs. They traced tiny lines around my knee caps as his lips slowly moved closer to my thighs.

I fell back on the bed and gave way to the sensations coursing through me. The fact that he had one of my toys in his pocket was driving me fucking wild, and arousing me even more was the fact that I didn't know which one.

To be completely honest, I wasn't sure if I trusted him. I had no idea who he was, or what he was all about. But the way his tongue traced up my leg made me want to grab his hair, yank his head back, and tell him to fuck me with that perfect piece of pink velvet, trust him or not.

I went to reach my hands down and intertwine them in his thick beautiful locks, but just as I did so, he quickly pinned my wrists behind my head and brought his face inches from mine. "Don't move," he demanded. I brought my lips crashing into his which was an obvious denial of his command. He leaned into the kiss momentarily, but then pulled back forcing me to suck on his bottom lip as he retreated. "Stay just like this."

His hands moved down to the top of my thighs as he began kissing his way down my body. He hesitated on my nipples for a few seconds, slowly swirling my skin in his mouth. He pinched the tip between his teeth causing me to sink deeper into his embrace and, with one last flick of his tongue, he decided to retake his position between my kneecaps. He planted little kisses down my thighs, slowly moving to my hip bones. He nibbled on the skin just below my belly button, which sent goosebumps up and down my body.

"Bella," he whispered against my stomach.

"Hm?" I uttered, my voice shaking with frustration that was brewing in my chest.

"Has anyone ever sucked on your clit and fucked you with a vibrator at the same time?"

My jaw dropped. As a matter of fact, no. No one had ever done that to me before. Before I had any time to respond, he lowered his face even further and dipped his tongue between my legs. He spread my folds apart with this fingers and licked from the base of my opening to the tip of my clit, causing me to writhe under his grasp. He drew the sensitive skin into his lips and sucked as he slowly lifted his head up. "Answer me, Ms. Swan."

"N-no," I whimpered.

"Good." He shot me one last smile before his head dipped down again, disappearing between my thighs. He gently guided a finger over the spot he had just licked and circled it around my opening one last time before plunging in completely. His soft, warm tongue circled my clit as his fingers dug inside of me, and, just as he had before, he found my g-spot without a moment's notice.

My breathing quickened as a tiny squeal of surprise escaped my lips, rocking my hips into him, completely giving myself over to his control.

"You taste so good, Bella," he whimpered against my clit. The gentle vibrations of his voice against my skin was nearly enough to pull me undone. I moaned as I arched into him further, struggling to get him closer to me. "I can tell when I hit the right spot . . ." His fingers bent inside of me, stroking said spot and sending a jolt of electric ecstasy through my core. ". . .because your clit literally shivers. It's quite a spectacular sight."

He pulled his fingers out of me and dragged his tongue over the entirety of my sex one more time before pulling back to kneel on the bed before me. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out my white, hard-plastic vibrator and placed it on one side of my hip before stretching his legs out behind him. He rested his weight on his elbows under my knees and kissed the inside of my thigh, slowly nibbling closer to my throbbing pussy.

I resisted the urge to grab a hold of his hair and plant his face exactly where I wanted it. He had told me not to move, to stay where I was, and he was in control of this situation. I badly wanted to disobey him, to touch him, taste him, but he advised me against it. I was worried that he may leave if I didn't listen to him, and I certainly did not want that to happen right now. This man had left me reeling for more one times too many already, tonight would not be a repeat of that scenario.

Just as the thought crossed my mind, he looked back up to me and smiled as he pushed two batteries into the vibrator and brought it to life. My heart skipped a beat at the humming, and my entire body shook from the anticipation.

With two quick motions, his tongue returned to my clit and vibrator found it's way inside me. It felt amazing. It was absolutely the best feeling I'd ever experienced with anyone. I gripped at the sheets on either side of my body and tossed my head back. I arched my hips into him, aching for more. I wanted him to go faster, suck harder, bring me to that precipice of arousal and throw me over the edge into oblivion. Instead, he pulled his head back and slowly pulled the vibrator out of me. "Bella, remember what I told you."

"I remember," I whimpered as the vibrator rocked back into me, hitting my spot and sending waves of pure ecstasy through my core.

He leaned down, wrapped his arm over my lower stomach and gripped at my hip to keep me from moving. His tongue lapped across me again, slowly and surely bringing me to brink of insanity. A few more thrusts of that plastic thing and I knew I was going to come, whether he wanted me to or not.

"Bella, look at me." His hot breath tickled against my legs as I looked down to him. "Keep those eyes on mine. I want to see your face when I make you scream."

"Are you giving me permission then?"

"Not yet," Edward shook his head and dove back into me with a passion. He pinched my clit between his lips, giving it a gentle nibble as the vibrator surged in and out of me. My hands gripped at the sheets surrounding me as roars of bliss rumbled out of my chest. He quickened the pace and his other hand found its way to my bum, gently stroking the opening there.

I tensed momentarily.

"Bella, trust me," he whispered.

"Were you planning this all day?" I managed to stutter.

"Hmm . . . all week," he replied as he brought his index finger to his lips. He gave it a little lick and then it disappeared under my body once again. His tongue found it's way to my clit, lapping and licking at the juices it found there. "I'm almost done. Hold on, just a little longer."

This was becoming tortuous. I was lost in what he was doing to my body; all coherent thought had left my mind completely. I found myself focusing all my energy on not orgasming, holding out until he'd decided the moment was right. I was conscious of everything he was doing. The way the humming sound changed when it was inside of me versus out. The soft, hot feel of his tongue working wonders between my legs, and the little finger begging for entrance at what I considered to be off limits.

"Bella, do you want to come?"

I moaned in response. "Uh huh . . ."

"Ask me."

"What?" I hissed breathlessly.

"Ask me to come."

"Edward, please. Just let me-"

"Ask, Bella. Or you won't be allowed."

"Edward, may I come for you? Please?" My sweaty hands balled into fists in my hair as I struggled to maintain a sense of reality. As usual, sex with him seemed like a dream.

"You may, but only for me." he replied as he nibbled harder on my sex. "You can move now, if you want."

My hands instantly threw themselves into his silky hair, holding his head in between my legs as my orgasm hit me hard. His index finger pushed it's way in to the only virgin hole left on my body, the vibrator angled up towards my belly button, and his lips latched onto my clit violently. I rocked into his face as my climax exploded through me, leaving me so completely overwhelmed with my sense of touch that I lost control of everything else. I'm certain that I heard someone screaming Edward's name, but at the time, I didn't know it was me. My legs tightened, my back arched and my eyes clamped shut.

"Uh uh. Look at me," he whispered forcing his lips to break away from me.

I snapped them open and glanced down at him. His lips enclosed around my clit once more in order to allow me to ride out the rest the best orgasm of my entire sex life.

Once my breathing had returned to normal, he slowly pulled his finger out of my bum and turned the vibrator off, easing it out of me just as gently. He sweetly kissed the insides of my thighs, my lower stomach, my hips, any place that was currently shaking from the experience. "Are you okay, Bella?"

"Okay?" I whimpered, my lungs heaving for oxygen as I attempted to find the right words. "Edward . . . that was . . ." I could barely talk, let alone describe how I was feeling right now. There simply were no words. I was desperate to get a hold of reality therefore useless for anything else. Edward chuckled and smiled against my inner thighs.

He gave my shaky legs one more peck before standing and casually walking to my bathroom in order to wash himself up. I could tell that what just happened was affecting him just as much as it was me. His erection was damn near popping out of those black dress pants. I patiently waited on the bed for him to return and tell me what he wanted me to do. Today was about control, right? And I knew he wouldn't fall asleep with something that large and engorged between his legs.

A few seconds later, he returned with a shit eating grin on his face and knelt down to look me in the eyes.

"Ms. Swan, I'm afraid I have to go," he whispered.

_Are you fucking kidding me?_

"You're not gonna fuck me?" The words flew out of my mouth faster than I could stop them, as they usually did when I was around him.

He smirked and then leaned into give me a kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulled him into me and tried like hell to get him on top of me. He hesitated for a few minutes, pushing back as I yanked him forward. Eventually, I gave in and threw my head back, letting go of his neck in futile defeat.

"Okay, you win. Leave me alone with my sexual frustration. Where are you going, anyway?" For some reason, I felt kind of upset that he was leaving. Wednesday was supposed to be a sacred day of sucking and fucking, and so far, he'd only accomplished one.

"Home. Not everyone looks as beautiful as you do with only five hours of sleep."

I glanced to the clock. It was already one fifteen in the morning. I had to get up at six. Dammit, he was right. I gave him one last kiss as he turned to leave my bedroom, lightly galloped down the stairs and stopped in my dining room. I assumed he was gathering his clothes and a few minutes later, I heard my front door shut.

I fisted my hands in my down comforter and rolled to the side, wrapping it around me like burrito. I nuzzled my head closer to my pillow and drifted into one of the best slumbers of my sexually deprived life.


	10. Insomniacs, Spies and Ping Pong Paddles

**A/N: Wow! So, it's been almost two months since an update for this story, and I am so sorry. I want to thank each and every one of you for your patience. Also, thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far. 239 Reviews . . . I'm just amazing. Thanks so much to all of you. You keep me going. :-) **

**Special shout outs to Rose, my fuckawesome beta. Thanks for your honesty, your advice and your excellent taste in music. You rock!! And once again, Beth . . . Thanks for everything, as always. :-) Pam and Jenny, you guys are the best!  
**

**I was on a little hiatus, just taking a break for some vacations and stuff. Also, wrote a one shot called "Marks." If you haven't checked it out already, go to my profile and get yourself the link. :-)**

**Okay, so . . . obviously Twilight, Edward and Bella belong to Stephanie Meyer. But Ping Pong Paddles is mine. lol. The song for this chapter is "Get Down, Make Love" by NIN, available on the playlist at my homepage. Enjoy and leave some love!**

Chapter 10  
"Insomniacs, Spies and Ping Pong Paddles"

_In my dreams, I left my bedroom behind. I was far far away, on that little outrigger from my fantasies, sleeping on my side with my arms tucked under my head and a light blanket covering my body up to my shoulders. The boat gently rocked back and forth, easing me into a deeper slumber._

_I could feel Edward's heat on my back, his soft breathing at my ear, and the weight of his arm as it draped over me. He leaned down and whispered in my ear__, "Bella, are you awake?"_

_"Hmmm . . ." I answered._

_"Do you want to go swimming?"_

_"No . . ." I shook my head, lazily rubbing my knuckles over my eyes as I rolled over to face him._

_"Do you want me inside of you?"_

_I gave him a silly grin and quickly nodded my head. He rolled himself on top of me, prying his knees between mine as he did. Edward positioned himself at my opening and pushed himself inside of me,_ _his eyes rolling back in his head and his mouth falling open as I ran my hands down either cheek._

_He leaned down to kiss me, bringing his elbows to either side of my head as he did so. He tasted like the most splendid mixture of sea salt and mint. There was something different about him, about us. God, I loved it. It felt so warm, so complete, so . . . natural. He plunged deeper, harder, angling his hips up as he impaled me to the deck of this little boat._

"Bella?" a voice from reality whispered.

A hot hand trailed down my side.

_The boat rocked harder with the passion of our embrace. Each thrust sent the waves --_

"Bella, are you awake?" the sweet, velvet voice asked.

_Each thrust sent the waves crashing harder against the side of the outrigger. Edward leaned down and took one of my nipples --_

"Do you want me to take you sailing? Is that what you're saying?"

"Just fuck me, Edward," I felt myself mumble.

"Well, I was planning on it. But I was hoping you'd at least be conscious for that," he whispered as hot kisses trailed over my shoulders.

I blinked one eye open and peered around the scene. I was still in my bedroom, wrapped like a burrito in my down comforter, and Edward was laying behind me with his hands tucked between my skin and the blanket. The room was still dark, so I knew it couldn't be time for me to get up yet. I thought I could see the outline of sweat pants and a tee shirt, concluding Edward wasn't even dressed yet.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice harsh from having been breathing through my mouth the entire night.

"Oh, good. You're awake now. Want some coffee?" he asked as his fingers traced another set of lines up my hips, over my waist and shoulders to my neck, and back down again.

I shook my head in response. "What time is it?"

"Almost four."

"Why did you come back?" I groaned as I stretched my hands over my head.

"Couldn't sleep."

"Hmm . . . so you decided to include me in that predicament?"

"I still control your orgasms, remember? Or did that last encounter literally blow your mind?"

"My, you're a cocky little bastard, aren't you?" I joked, rolling my eyes at his arrogance.

"Hmm . . . you have no idea."

With that, he ripped the sheet off me and rolled in between my legs, prying my ankles apart with his feet as he did. He grabbed my wrists and pinned them above my head with one hand, bringing the other to my right breast. His face inches from mine, he whispered, "How often do you dream about me?"

The question took me off guard. I found it to be such a random thing to ask. Shaking my head and furrowing my eye brows in confusion, I managed to stutter, "Wh- What?"

His hand trailed across my chest and over my stomach, tracing warm lines over my skin with his fingers that left goosebumps wherever they touched. The lines continued over my hips and down my thighs, but stopped there. I ached for him to touch me, ravage me, seduce me . . . FUCK . . . just do something to me. This teasing was only adding more frenzy to the already intense moment.

Last night, he had left me on the precipice of sexually frustrated and unfulfilled. At the time, I found it incredibly irritating, though now it became clear just how that incident must have been for him. Now was definitely not the time to bring it up, so I decided to wait until later to ask him why he left so abruptly.

"How . . ." he started as he kissed my jaw. ". . . often . . ." His lips pressed against my neck, and then trailed to my collarbone. " . . . do you . . ." Just to add insult to injury, his exquisite tongue lapped over my breast and nipple. He enveloped my soft skin between his lips, sucking and nibbling on it just enough to make my nerves chaotic. ". . . dream about me?" he finished as he brought his face inches from mine. His sparkling emerald eyes echoed the intensity of the situation, demanding nothing but the truth from me.

"Too often," I breathlessly answered.

"Just as I thought." With that, he reached his hand between us and pulled the front of his sweatpants down to his thighs. His erection sprang free and nudged against my tender skin once it was able. His right hand still held my wrists above my head, but his left began guiding his cock between my folds, pressing it against my clit and holding it there with his hand to create the most amazing sensation of skin on skin. It was so warm, so . . . natural. I felt myself growing wetter by the second, and I knew that I wanted him buried inside instantly.

"What are you waiting for?"

"Patience, " he whispered against my lips. "Do you feel that? Do you feel me?"

"I feel you," I managed to answer before a moan fell from my lips. He pushed harder against my skin, still sensitive from the session three hours ago. "Ah . . . you'll be the death of me, Mr. Cullen," I teased as I gave him a little grin.

His face dropped momentarily and he stopped moving, as if I had said something that surprised him.

"What? What's wrong?" He suddenly seemed scared. Had I said something? Did I hurt him somehow? I searched his face for any sign of an answer.

His features softened a little before he gave me an awkward grin and reached into his pocket of his sweatpants before taking them off completely. "Nothing, just . . . um . . . thought I heard something, but I didn't."

Before I could say anything else, his lips planted on mine again, halting any further objection. My hands still pinned above my head, I could do nothing but wrap my legs around his waist and pull his pelvis closer to mine, forcing him to rub against me harder. He smiled, ripped open the condom with his teeth, and wrapped the rubber around the head of his dick before rocking his hips at a different angle to plunge inside of me.

My eyes snapped shut at the pure ecstasy of being stretched by him. The tip of his dick rocked against my g-spot, instantly forcing the center of my back into the air. My hips arched against him, my arm muscles tightened and my legs clamped down on him to bring him in deeper.

It was amazing. Simply amazing. Two days of pent up, forbidden sexual desire had caged a wild beast inside of me; a beast that only Edward Cullen could tame. I had longed for this, yearned for this, and, as he buried himself deep inside of me, an exquisite sense of solace overwhelmed me; a fact I felt to be rather unnerving.

His finger's grasped tighter around my wrists as his other hand clamped down on my hip. He pumped harder, rocking his hips in just the right rhythm to drive me crazy. When my eyes opened, Edward was only centimeters from my face. I leaned up to kiss him, but he pulled back slightly. "I know you've been wanting this for a while," he started. I shifted my gaze to him as I felt him slowly slide out of me. "But you're in for a long morning," he hissed, plunging deeper than he had been before. "I want you sore."

His filthy words hit me straight in the clit, which twitched violently as soon as he'd uttered them. I opened my mouth to say something, but he leaned down to lick across my top lip. "Every time you walk, each time you sit, whenever one leg crosses the other . . . you'll remember this morning . . . " Then, the pace slowed down significantly. ". . . you'll be thinking of me." He let go of my hands and placed his elbows on either side of my head before planting a gentle kiss on my nose. "And remember," he added. "You can't come until I tell you."

Edward climbed off me and, grabbing onto my hips, he flipped me over to my knees. Something about the way he said those words made me anxious for this _long morning._ I was a trooper, and I could handle anything he threw my way.

_Bring it on, Cullen._

I rolled over and pushed up to my knees as I looked over my shoulders. He grabbed a few pillows and crammed them under my hips before pushing me down on them. Warmth radiated off him as he knelt down behind me, his fingers sweeping over my back and up my spine to my shoulders where he latched onto me. Goosebumps swelled over every inch of my skin as I writhed under his grasp. He entered me again, this time forcing me to arch my back in response. His elbows dug into my hips as his pelvis pumped against me, filling and stretching me to the maximum.

I fell forward from the weight of his thrusts causing my arms to extend over my head. I twisted my fingers in the soft, cotton sheet, gripping to it for dear life. I was absolutely losing all sense of reality. All I could feel was his tight hold on my torso and his warm cock pressing against my g - spot.

I reached behind me and grabbed the back of his thigh to push him deeper inside. I wanted him, all of him, right now.

Suddenly, a sharp pain permeated through my left butt cheek. "OW!" I yelped as I pushed myself away from him and looked over my shoulder. He held up a ping pong paddle, twisting it from side to side as his gaze shifted from it to me.

_. . . Did I just get fucking spanked?. . ._

_Yes . . . Yes, I believe I did._

_Well, that changes things._

_Here comes the real internal debate._

_. . . Did I like it? . . ._

_Yes . . . Yes, I believe I did._

"Don't focus on what it _is_ . . . focus on how it _feels._ Now, get back over here," he quietly demanded as he pulled back on my hips. I willingly obliged.

His index finger found it's way to my clit and circled it twice as I nervously pushed back to him. "Trust me, Bella," he whispered.

_Fuck it._

I took a deep breath to calm my racing heart and stop my hands from shaking. Deep down, I knew he wouldn't hurt me intentionally. He'd probably done this before, and knew I would like it. Besides, I knew that spanking hurt worse if you resisted. I think I'd enjoy this if I get into it.

_Cullen, just wait until we have a rematch. It's on, fucker._

Edward's hands crept over the back of my thighs and wrapped around my hips to plunge inside of me.

"Now, I want you to rock in and out of me." His deep voice was soothing, comforting, yet stern. He knew what he wanted me to do, and knew that I would consent. What he didn't know at the time was that he was opening an entirely new can of worms. He was uncovering aspects of my sexual desires that I hadn't provoked in almost a decade. Wild Bella would have her way with this one, and sensible Bella would need to take a back seat.

I did as he said and began to grind against him, angling my hips so that the tip of his dick hit my g-spot. His right hand wrapped around my clit as my thighs quivered from his touch. Exhilaration flooded my entire body causing my rapid-fire mind to draw only one conclusion.

_I have to be dreaming right now._

The paddle came down on my ass in three swift pops, sending a jolt of electric sting through my body. The friction of our bodies colliding together was enough to counter balance it. The pain, it seemed, had only added another level to the already impassioned situation.

Slowly pinching the skin closest to my upper thigh, his tender fingers added a comforting tingle to the once burning flesh. He was testing me, pushing me to the limit. Two weeks into this arrangement, and he already knew me too well. I wouldn't stop; I'd go as far as he would push me. I'd go the distance with him, and only him. He was my competition, and if I backed down now, I risked appearing weak…and that wasn't me.

Besides, I don't think that I surprised him tonight. I think he knew I liked a little pain atop my pleasure salad.

Before I could think anymore about it, three smacks to the other side of my ass brought me back to reality. Fuck what he knew about me, fuck appearing weak. I was beginning to beg him for that fucking paddle. The first three pops were startling to my virgin flesh, but these three only egged me on. I pushed back on him, longing for more, begging for more.

And he obeyed. Three more smacks, then massaging fingers.

His goal was accomplished. I would be sore later today; and I might not be able to sit down. But that didn't seem to matter at this moment.

Two more spanks and I groaned with agony. I wanted to come . . . no . . . I needed to come. It was long overdue. I found myself moaning loudly and pushing back on him roughly in a matter of seconds. He spanked me with the paddle once again, and my inner walls clamped down on him. I was about to explode.

"Not yet, Bella," he demanded.

"Oh, fuck . . . you," I whined as I pushed harder against him and wrapped my hand behind his thigh to draw him in deeper.

"Not. Yet."

It was too late. I was already there. Fuck him, and fuck his stupid control game.

Just as I was about to throw myself over the edge, Edward stopped and pushed away from me.

His absence immediately left me reeling. I pushed back for him, and felt nothing. My mouth gaped open, releasing an inexplicably frustrated groan as I flipped over to look at him.

Edward smiled and then tilted his head to the side. "I said no."

"I said yes," I snarled.

He slowly climbed on top of me, bringing his lips inches from my neck. His body hovered centimeters over mine and I could feel the tip of his cock begging for entrance once again. My chest began to rise and fall rapidly as my breathing picked up. My heart raced as a shiver shot down my spine from the look he was giving me. It suggested a wild desire equal to my own was burning behind those emerald bullets.

"When you beat me, Bella -- _if_ you beat me . . . you can tell me to do anything you want. But, this morning, you're simply not done yet."

"Edward, it's close to six. You've kept me going for two hours. You keep it up much longer, and there might not be anything left for you to control tonight. Had you thought about that when you planned this little marathon romp?" I snapped. I was becoming frustrated. My body ached for release, I desperately needed a shower, and, after this, I'd require _a lot_ of coffee.

"Hmm . . . You do have a point," he conceded as he hooked his arm under my left knee and hitched it on his shoulders. "Perhaps I should get this over with," he whispered slowly.

His perfect lips collided with mine once more, causing our bodies to connect, squeezing my leg between us. The new angle at which he pumped into me was more earth shattering than being spanked with the paddle, and as his thumb grazed over my clit, I felt my nerves give into their most instinctual desire. He had brought me to the edge of a great release, but left me teetering there, unwilling to push me over.

With one flick of his tongue against my nipple and another thrust inside of me, my climax erupted through my body. It started with electric spasms between my legs, slowly progressing into exquisite euphoria all over my entire body, and by the end, my limbs turned numb from overwork and exhaustion.

My eyes locked on the brilliant green shade peering down at me, his mouth tightening as his hands gripped harder to my shoulders. "Fuck, Bella," he moaned against my lips. He pressed his forehead to mine, obviously obtaining his own release, and only broke away to kiss me passionately towards the end.

Edward took a few deep breathes before falling to my side and running his hand through his beautiful hair. I gasped for air, forcing oxygen into my lungs as fast as I could. My eyes slowly squeezed shut from the blissful state I now found myself in and my arms fell limp to my sides. I rolled my head in his direction, feeling more satisfied than I had in years.

_God, that was amazing._

_I could fall asleep just like this._

Edward grabbed my hands to pull me off the bed. "Come on, dear. That deserved a bath," he suggested as he guided me to the bathroom. I managed to make it there, although I don't know how. I was exhausted. I tried to force my eyes open, but it had gotten to the point where my eye lids were almost sticking to each other. I felt him sit me down on the toilet as he put the plug into the tub and turned on the faucet.

Stinging pain from my ass shot directly up my spine. I winced, slowly swaying side to side. I felt as though I'd pass out any second, and one of these times, I'd submit and fall over.

Suddenly, cold liquid spritzed me in the face. I jumped a little, my eyes instantly snapping open to look up at him. He was standing there, water delicately dripping off his fingers. "Wake up!" he announced with a chuckle.

I reached my hand under the running water and splashed a lot more his direction. He gave me a wink and grabbed my hand to pull me closer to him as he stepped into the two inches of water that had gathered at the bottom of the tub.

Carefully easing myself onto the hard porceilin, I realized something rather prophetic. Spanking with a paddle: fun until the serotonin wears off.

He crammed under the faucet and tucked his feet around my waist. "Are you comfortable?" he asked.

I slowly nodded my head and leaned back against the cold shower wall. Trailing my gaze over his long legs and up to his perfect stomach and chest, I finally landed on his brilliant green eyes, which were currently eyeing me up in a similar fashion.

"Tell me, Mr. Cullen, where did you run off to this morning?" I asked as I leaned my elbow on the ridge of the tub and playfully bit the end of my finger.

"I wasn't quite expecting to be drawn away so early last night," he answered with a grin. "I had previous engagements that I needed to attend to," he explained as he lifted my right foot to his lap.

"So you haven't slept at all?"

"I never sleep," he added as if it was such a natural thing to be an insomniac.

"Have you seen anyone about that?"

"No one can fix the reason why I don't sleep," he answered casually, as if he'd seen a million doctors and no one had figured it out yet. Either that, or this man had secrets . . . dark, twisted demons buried deep in his cerebellum that refused to leave him alone at night. "Inquisitive this morning, aren't you?" he continued, breaking me from my thoughts.

"I've been theoretically screwing around with you for a few weeks now --"

"Ten days," he corrected.

"Whatever. I don't even have your cellphone number."

I started smiling as he grabbed the washcloth from one of the hooks on the wall and flicked open the bottle of soap. Oozing some foam onto the cloth, he started at my toes, slowly massaging each little muscle with delicate ease. "Why would you want my cellphone number?" he inquired in a soft, deep voice while moving his hands upward towards my calf and knees.

"I suppose it's safer than the company line as a means of communicating," I reasoned. The thought only then hit me that he had my office number, but I didn't have his. I was left hanging at his every whim. Whenever he needed to tell me something, he could - but not the other way around.

At this point, he had moved onto my other leg and was beginning to inch tiny bubbles down my inner thigh. He sat up, bringing his legs in between mine to lean forward. Trailing the cloth over each of my breasts and down my stomach, he reached his hand between my legs and brought his lips to my ear. "How do you feel?"

He was stalling, attempting to avoid the conversation. "I've felt worse," I teased, hoping to send my insult straight to the gut. "Don't change the subject."

He smiled and gave me a soft kiss while the soapy washcloth traveled over each of my breasts. "I'll program it into your phone before I leave," he answered before standing up. "Let me get behind you so that I can get your back."

I smiled at my small victory and slid forward so that he could squeeze in behind me. His legs on either side of my body, he leaned against the wall and began dragging his hands over every inch of my skin.

The intimacy of the moment was violently ripped from me at the realization that I had yet to tell him about my plans for this Friday. Our arrangement would have to wait. "Edward," I started, bending my head around to look at him. "I have a confession to make."

"Uh oh," he joked in response. "Let me guess, Jenks has decided that interoffice relationships are acceptable and he's the one that sent you the flowers so you're secretly planning to move to Guam with intentions of becoming his mistress slash baby momma?"

_Was he on crack?_

"Um . . ." I started with a giggle. "No. Though, I must admit that if I were in that situation, Jenks would be terribly difficult to resist," I joked.

He laughed and then gave me a small kiss on the shoulder.

"I have to cancel our plans for this Friday," I delicately explained. I secretly hoped he didn't get pissed at me, though it didn't matter much if he did. I was going to Mr. Dean's banquet, regardless.

His eyebrows furrowed as a minor amount of disappointment crossed his face. "Why?"

"Work stuff."

"What kind of work --" he began, but the answer to his own question must have suddenly come to him because his lips tightened and he nodded his head in acknowledgment. "Dean's banquet?"

"We don't have to cancel. I suppose I could swing by your place on my way home. I can't imagine I'll be out too late --"

"Call me when you're leaving. I'll meet you here," he suggested, handing me the cloth so I could begin to scrub his legs.

This was the second time he had avoided his loft. What the hell was going on? Why hadn't we gone there yet? Why was he hiding it from me?

"Why won't you let me --" I finally managed to ask.

"I have a roommate," he quickly replied, cutting me off.

"So? I'd like to meet him."

"You can't. It would compromise our arrangement," Edward explained.

"He doesn't know about us?"

"Bella, I haven't told anyone about this. Have you?"

"A few. Jake and Alice obviously."

"And you aren't afraid of Alice running to tell Jenks about what's been going on?"

"Alice wouldn't do that to me," I answered as I finished soaping his strong, long legs and turned around to face him, wrapping my legs around his body and pulling myself into his lap.

"Are you certain?" he whispered as I rubbed the cloth over his chest and stomach. "What about the two colleagues sitting next to you at the Red Room? Do you believe they saw you leave with me?"

I hadn't thought about that. Jessica and Angela had both been there that night, and they both saw me freak out because of Edward's appearance. I knew Angela wasn't the type to go out of her way to make someone's life a living hell, but Jessica would. Jessica was as vindictive as they come, which was one of the main reasons I hired her as my Marketing Director. Would that decision ultimately come back to bite me in the ass? I couldn't be too sure just yet. I would have to talk to her to find out for certain.

"I don't know," I eventually answered.

"Regardless, it's better if we just keep the meetings here for the time being. Call me when you're leaving, and I'll come down," he asserted sternly before gesturing for me to get off him. I scooted back so that he could rise and get out of the tub.

The dread of him suddenly leaving washed over me. "Where are you going?"

"Breakfast isn't going to make itself," he mused with a little grin, wrapping the towel around his waist to walk into my bedroom.

Edward Cullen was becoming frustrating. Not only was I not allowed to see his loft, but whenever I mentioned something personal, he ran away. Sighing, I laid down in the water and submerged my head so that I was completely alone with my thoughts. At least he came back. At least he's still interested, which is more than I can say of the last few people that accompanied me in this tub.

Who am I kidding? It's been a long time since anyone accompanied me into my loft, let alone shared a bath with me.

After I had shampooed and conditioned, I climbed out and released the plug to drain the water. Wrapping the towel under my shoulders, I walked into my bed room and took note of the time. 6:45. It was time to get dressed.

I ran over the days activities in my head, remembering that I had speeches and presentations to give to my associates. There would be a few meetings with some subsidiaries, not to mention lunch with Rose. I'd better dress professionally today. I opted to go with stiletto's, black dress pants, and a business suit.

I dropped the towel to the floor and began to slide my cute, pink panties over my legs. When I got to my rump, I inched the fabric over my tender skin, realizing just how sore he'd left me. My pussy ached every time I moved and the skin on my ass was a light shade of rosey pink. It wouldn't bruise, but . . . damn . . . today was going to be rough. Not only was I going off three hours of sleep, but every movement would be the slightest bit uncomfortable. Some part of me was dreading going to work, but another part reminded me of this extraordinary morning, and of Edward. His plan had worked like a fucking charm. I'd be walking around all day with a constant reminder of the mind blowing sex I had this morning. And I would think of him each and every time I moved.

I tried to fight them, to hold them down, but the butterflies came anyway. A nervous bundle of energy brewed in my stomach . . . and I hated it. I shouldn't feel like this about him. I risked everything to feel like this about him; my job, my life, my reputation, all down the shitter . . . and, for some fucking reason, I couldn't stop it. My body ached to feel butterflies, to feel an orgasm, to feel anything at all. It would be just my fucking luck that I should feel these things with my worst enemy.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid! I am a royal fucking idiot!_

I finished getting dressed and pulled the top half of my hair into a barrette at the back of my head. I turned to walk out of my bedroom, but jumped when I saw Edward standing in the doorway. His sudden presence startled me and then caused me to laugh at myself for being scared. "I'm sorry. I'm just not used to other people being in my loft. I live alone, ya know."

He was already dressed in a gray business suit with a white button and a black tie. Sore or not, I think I could have fucked him where he stood. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes, actually. Starved."

"Hm . . . do you want your biscuit toasted?" he whispered as he took a few steps closer to me and raised an eyebrow quickly at his play on words. The feral look had returned to his eyes, which at the moment, were investigating the way my pants fell over my hips. "Professional. Good choice," he murmured, gently sweeping his hand over the sensitive area on my bum.

I winced a little and looked to the ground. "Toasted would be great."

"Does it hurt?"

"No, it feels like sunshine and snowflakes," I joked, giggling a little at the end. He seemed unamused. "It's nothing I can't handle," I concluded, giving him a wink as I pushed past him for the stairs.

We ate breakfast in near silence. He read his newspaper and I struggled to stay awake. Two bites into my scrambled eggs made me regret throwing the plate away last time he made this for me. The eggs were spectacular and gone before I knew it.

"Damn," he uttered. "You were hungry, huh?"

"It was really delicious. Thank you," I added as I wiped my mouth on my napkin and stood to clear my plate.

"My pleasure. What else could I do for my girl after a night like that?"

_My girl . . ._ The words stopped me in my tracks. This wasn't supposed to be a relationship, this wasn't supposed to be a commitment. And now he was referring to me as _his girl._

"Relax," he whispered before wrapped his hands around my waist. "It's just an expression."

"I know," I impulsively replied in a desperate attempt to conceal my overactive mind. God, this man could read me like a fucking book. He knew just what to do in bed to set my nerves on fire, and he knew what each one of my little expressions meant. In such a short period of time, he'd managed to wiggle his way into the deepest, darkest recesses of my personality.

"Though, for the time being . . ." he started as he pushed me closer to the counter, pressing against my "battle wounds" as he placed his coffee on black tile next to me. "It is rather nice to think of things like that . . . isn't it?" My knees began to quiver while his warm, strong hands traveled over my hips to my waist. His sweet, minty breath trickled down my neck and over my shoulders, causing me to become a tad light headed. Edward was teasing me again. "That you're mine . . . just as I'm yours," he continued.

"And what happens when things come to an end?"

"So pessimistic," he whispered inches from my ear. "You really need to lighten up." His hands found their way to my breasts, gently squeezing through my business top. "We've got enough time for a little play, if you're interested."

_Oh God!_ So tempting. Edward had specifically designed last night to ensure I would remember it, and his plan was damn near fail proof. I'm not sure I could handle another romp this very second. "Hm . . . wouldn't want to mess up your business suit. There'll be enough time for that tonight."

"Indeed. Are you nervous about what awaits you after work?"

"N-no," I stuttered as a mild shiver shot down my spine.

"Hmm . . ." he moaned as brought his lips to my neck. "You should be." He kissed the tender skin connecting my shoulders to my head. "I'll thoroughly enjoy spying on you all day, Ms. Swan."

My heart skipped a beat.

"Do you enjoy being watched?" he continued.

"Only when the eyes are yours."

"Hmm . . . interesting. Time to go." I looked over my shoulder to meet his gaze. His lips curled into a sexy smile and, shooting me a wink, he nodded his head toward the door. "You should wait twenty minutes or so, and then head out yourself. Wouldn't want to risk getting caught leaving at the same time again." A gentle kiss on the lips, and he was gone, leaving me standing in the kitchen feeling oddly turned on and ridden-raw.

The trip to work was stressful and long, as usual. New York City traffic was always horrendous, no matter what time of day it was. When I did ultimately arrive, I parked in my normal spot and slowly made my way into the building. Every step I took, every movement I made, I thought of a ping pong paddle. Each time I crossed my legs, I remembered being stretched by Edward Cullen.

_I hate him._

I would win next time. And he would pay for this.

But I couldn't give in. Whatever he had prepared for this evening, whatever mind-fucking experience he'd put me through, I'd suck it up and go with it. The spanking turned out to be exhilarating, and I couldn't let him see me cower in fear. I was supposed to be fearless. I'd have to keep up the charade, even if I was trembling inside.

I inched down the hallway to my office and made it halfway before Alice came up behind me, forcing a cappuccino in my hands.

"'Ello, love," she greeted in a horrible Australian accent.

"Top o' mornin' to ya mate," I mimicked her tone jokingly. She smiled before eyeing me a little more suspiciously.

"What wrong with you?" she asked once we were safely in my office.

I casually stalked to my desk and threw my things on top of it before turning around to the windows. His right hand smugly in his pocket, he shot me a shit eating grin and toasted me with his cup of coffee. I pursed my lips at him and snapped my curtains shut. Turning back to Alice, I ran my hands over my face and walked a little closer to my desk. "Okay, this is a rather delicate subject matter. . ." I started.

"Oh come on, Bella. Delicate subject matter? It's me we're talking about here."

I took a deep breath and leaned against my desk, placing my hands on either side of my giant calendar to steady my weight. "Okay, has Jasper ever spanked you with anything?"

She furrowed her eye brows in confusion and tried to hide a little giggle with her hand. "Like . . . with his hand?"

"No . . . with a ruler, or a paddle?"

Alice retracted a little and stared at me momentarily to see if I would suddenly break out into laughter, admitting I was just joking. When she realized I was being serious, she took a few steps toward me and put her coffee on my desk. "Let me get this straight. He spanked you . . . with a paddle?"

"Alice . . . I don't think I can sit down."

At this point, she burst into hysterics. "Oh god!! What did you do?"

"I kind of . . . liked it," I murmured, finally looking up to meet her gaze, which was a mix of astonished and amazed. "What? It's not like he beat me with it."

"Oh, Bella. What am I going to do with you?"

"Can we just move on? What do I have to do today?" I whined.

"Speeches, lunches, presentations. The usual."

"What time is numero uno?"

"Ten minutes."

I took a deep breath and prayed that the caffeine kicked in soon.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm exhausted."

"Aw, poor baby," she joked. "Since when has an all nighter kept you down? Look, I'll get you a couple of espressos. You'll be right as rain in a few minutes. Stay here," she explained as she took off toward the coffee bar at the other side of the building.

I closed my eyes and tried to get a grip on reality. Things were beginning to seem rather hazy.

Suddenly, my phone chirped three times.

"Isabella Swan," I greeted upon answering. Somehow, I already knew who it was.

"430-555-8998. Call me back," Edward whispered, the line going dead as soon as his sentence was over. I hung up the receiver to grab a pen and jot down the number before I forgot it. Rummaging through my purse for my cellphone, I instantly dialed the number once it was in my grasp and heard his voice after the second ring. "Yes?"

"You called me," I retorted. "I should be saying that to you."

"I can't stare at you all day with the blinds closed," the velvet voice responded. I leaned against my desk for support, honestly feeling weaker than I ever had before. I was tired, I was sore, and I honestly didn't need his teasing at that moment.

"Perhaps that was the point. I won't be in my office for most of the day, so I suppose you won't miss much," I hissed.

"Where are you going for lunch?" he quickly asked, ignoring my tone all together.

"That's personal."

"You mean professional. If it were personal, you'd be meeting me for lunch instead."

"I'll talk to you later, Mr. Cullen."

"Have a good day at work, Small Town."

My tongue instinctively shot to my cheek as I pushed end on my Blackberry. Looking down at the number centered on the phone's display, I rolled my finger over the save option and debated the best nickname to disguise his entry.

"Do you feel any better?" Alice chirped upon her return. She handed me my espresso and looked down at the phone in my hand. "Who called?"

"The Spy," I answered with a chuckle. It was perfect. Edward the Spy.

~**~

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed it and don't forget to leave comments. PS: If you leave a comment, I'll send you a teaser for Chapter 11 in a PM. :-) **


	11. Obsession, Withdrawal, Relapse

Chapter 11

"Obsession, Withdrawal, and Relapse"

My first meeting went as well as could be expected. It was my turn to speak, so I didn't have to do much other than explain the presentation I prepared. It detailed exactly how this quarter was expected to go. In addition to that, I had planned the TTA to the millisecond. Everyone on the board of directors had a specific place to be just about every second of the day. Each person could expect their itineraries by the end of the week. After that was over with, and everyone had left the board room, Alice looked over to me with an encouraging smile.

"You've still got it, honey."

"Oh yeah, how so?" I groaned, flipping my notebook closed and gathering the rest of my things.

"No sleep, no problem," she cheered.

"I can't keep this up, Alice. I'm going to keel over any second."

"Just make it through today. You can go home and sleep at five if you want."

"You're such a good cheerleader," I jested as I walked past her for the door.

"Rah-Rah-Shish-Boom-Bang!" Alice sang, her hand suddenly landing on the sorest part of my body. I stopped, straightened, and turned my head over my shoulder to look at her, a grimace smearing across my face. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did that hurt?" she cooed softly.

"I. Hate. You." I whispered before taking off through the door towards my office.

I could hear her soft cackle in the background as I marched forward. She caught up with me a few seconds later, stifling a grin and trying to move along with the conversation.

"So, Jazz got a promotion at work," she announced.

"Wonderful. So what does he do now? _Watch_ other people listen to teenagers complain about high school?"

"Bella . . ." Alice chastised.

"You're right. I'm sorry, Alice. I'm just a little cranky this morning - if you couldn't tell."

"He's been at the same school for over five years now. It was a big raise for us; a raise that means I can go on maternity leave sooner."

"Oh," I sighed as the gravity of her announcement hit me.

_Oh._

That's right. Maternity leave. Alice was pregnant. She was telling me she'd be leaving a helluva lot sooner. "Oh, Alice. That's wonderful news. I'm really happy for you two."

"God, there's so much to do. The guest room has to be converted to the baby room, obviously. There's cribs to buy and walls to paint. I'm so excited about this, Bella. I think I'm gonna wait until the delivery to know the sex of the baby. You know? Make everything unisex," Alice jabbered. All she could think about was the baby, and all I could think about was what Edward meant by telling me I should be nervous about tonight.

_What should I expect, whips and chains?_

The thought made me laugh, and as I brought my hand to my lips, I looked to Alice, who evidently had said something that didn't deserve a chuckle.

"Bella, were you even listening to me?"

"Of course I was."

She crossed her arms and stamped her foot at me as we reached the door to my personal sanctuary. "No, you weren't. I asked you if you would mind going color hunting with me this Saturday, to which you laughed in response."

I nodded my head as I opened the door and took a few steps in. "I'm sorry. I'm just not very lucid today. Accept my apology, and yes, I would love to go color hunting with you on Saturday."

"It's settled then." She flipped some files in her hands and took a few steps closer to me, eyeing the wince on my face incredulously. "Want to talk about it?"

"Not really," I muttered, leaning against my desk for support.

"Okay then, moving on to this Friday. Are you prepared for Dean's banquet?"

"Flash cards written, presentation backed up and then backed up again. The memory card is right here, the CD is at my house. Honey, I was born ready."

"Are you going to be able to_ stand _there for ten whole minutes without keeling over from exhaustion?"

"Alice, I'll be fine. Is Jessica ready?"

"She sent me the final copy of her portion this morning. So far, so good. I also took a look at Paul's report on sales. That needs some work, but it's almost there."

"Great. I'm sure you can help him out with that, can't you? What time am I supposed to be there on Friday?"

"Seven. I'll arrange for the limo to drive us," Alice explained. "Are you about ready to head to lunch?" I nodded in response and Alice gave me a warm smile before turning to retrieve her things from her office. While waiting for her return, I debated taking a look into enemy territory. Just one tiny little peek wouldn't hurt anyone, right?

I told him I wouldn't be in here at all today, so there'd be no reason for him to be looking my direction. There was practically no risk of me getting caught. My fingers ran the outline of the curtain, pulling it slightly to the left as my curious eyes violated the promise I'd made to myself.

He was sitting behind his desk, his jacket thrown casually over the back of his chair. He scratched the back of his head and stretched both arms before leaning back in his chair to relax. The outline of his muscles on his arms and chest were enough to make me start panting. A twist of my stomach told me that no matter what I should be "nervous" about this evening, it would be a blast, and I couldn't wait to see what it was. His chair started to swivel in my direction so I snapped the curtain shut quickly out of fear that I would be caught spying on his office. I couldn't risk someone walking in and seeing me in such a precarious disposition.

"Ready to go?" Alice chirped from outside my door. I nodded and forced my stubborn feet to move her direction, eventually continuing down the hallway and into the elevator. "You should try warming lotion. Trust me. It works," Alice whispered once we were alone inside the metal box.

"Yeah, I noticed how you didn't answer that question about Jasper. You little minx," I teased. We both giggled for a few minutes until she nudged me with her elbow in response. As the doors opened for the lobby, we walked through the crowded space and circled the revolving doors. It wasn't terribly long until the company limo pulled up in front of us. Alice climbed into the back seat first, and as I got in behind her, I stole a glance across the street. I was half expecting to see him standing there, preparing to follow me, but there was no one. Just the normal hustle bustle of crowded New York City streets. I sighed and slowly sat down on the plush leather seats, pulling the door closed behind me.

"Jake and Rose said that they would meet us there," Alice explained.

"Have you told them yet? About your spawn?"

She laughed and covered her mouth with her hand. "No, I was planning on doing that today. Act surprised. I don't want them knowing that I told my best friend before my own flesh and blood."

I nodded my head in agreement, obviously understanding how that situation would end. Rose would get pissed, and Jake might never talk to Alice again. "I'll do my best."

"Thanks."

"Did you remember to bring the contract she is supposed to sign?" I blurted in an anxious tone. This meeting was almost pointless without that signed paperwork.

"Of course, love. I've got it covered," Alice assured me.

God, love her. What was I going to do when she left me? This whole her-being-pregnant thing was really throwing a wrench in my plan for us to take over the world.

Forty-five minutes later, Alice and I found ourselves stepping out of the limo to enter this really fancy Italian restaurant. Jake and Rose were already standing outside waiting for us. Jake had his hands in his pockets, idly admiring each male that walked by as usual, while Rose, with her cellphone glued to her head, screamed at someone on the other end as usual.

"I told you Jane, I don't care what you do! Just have it done by the time I get back," Rose hissed into her phone before slamming it shut. " . . . stupid twit." Rose shook her beautiful blond head and looked our direction, her eyes lighting up at the sight of me. It had been almost two weeks since I'd seen her, and we simply weren't used to that. We used to spend everyday together. "Hey guys! How are you?"

"Ugh . . . we've got some catching up to do," I groaned, throwing my arms around her for a hug.

"Jake was telling me something along those lines. I can't wait to hear the entire story," Rose replied in her annoying, high pitched, "I-know-you-did-something-bad-and-I'm-about-to-tell-mom" tone that had never faded with age or maturity. It had been the same tone since grade school.

"You talked?" I shouted at Jake, punching him in the bicep.

"Did you really expect me not to? She's the only one who can talk sense into you." Jake retorted with a return playfully slug to my shoulder.

A square table at the back of the restaurant seemed to be the perfect spot. The waiter dropped off our menus, but that proved pointless to me. I already knew what I wanted. Mushroom spaghetti, Caesar salad, and bread sticks. (Fuck Atkins, carbs are the shit!)

Drink orders underway, Rose turned to me with death stare. "So, how long have you been screwing the Cullen?"

"Ugh, God," I groaned, shooting Jake an angry look for having been such a big mouth. I spent the next twenty minutes filling her in on everything that had happened up until this point, including some things Jake and Alice had no idea about, such as a brief depiction of what happened last night concerning a poker match, getting ditched, and then brutally woken up only a few hours later. "I'm exhausted," I concluded as I looked back and forth between Rose and her younger adopted brother.

"Is he married?" Rose instinctively asked.

"No, I don't believe so. I think Wikipedia would have mentioned that. Actually, it didn't say much about his love life at all," I elaborated.

"You're basing your information off a Wikipedia site?" Jake snorted.

"There wasn't much else to look at, only webpages where his research was cited or accredited," I answered, somewhat defensively.

"Look, Bella. This isn't a smart idea. I mean, you know how powerful the Cullens are, and if you get caught, you can kiss your career goodbye," Rose sternly added.

"You don't think I've thought of that?"

"Then why are you still screwing around with him?" she countered.

"I'm pulled to him, Rose. Like he's my match or something."

"Oh, that's horseshit!" Alice threw into the conversation.

I shot her an ugly look. "Hush up, you! Things have obviously changed since last weekend," I hissed, pointing to my swollen and bruised rump.

Rose took a deep breath and crossed her hands over her forehead. "Isabella, I have never once given you motherly advice, nor have I ever told you what to do with your life. You've always seemed to have a good head on your shoulders. But I am strongly advising you to end this arrangement . . . _tonight_. Do it before it begins to hurt."

"So, let me get this straight. He _spanked _you . . . with a ping pong paddle?" Jake interrupted with a huge grin.

I nodded twice.

"Kinky," he added with apathy.

"Not helping," Alice said. It looked like she was going to say something else, but Rose interjected.

"Let's think about this rationally, Bella. Let's put aside all romantic, fluffy, stupid feelings I'm sure you've got going on right now, forget that he's a pretty face with apparently exceptional bedside manner. Focus on the facts. He's your enemy, your competition, and you say _he_ pursued _you?_I don't know what Dean's talking about because the last time I checked, CI was doing extraordinarily well. It's going to be a close quarter, Bella. The only logical explanation for his persistence is that there's something to gain from the situation, and you have something he wants terribly," Rose explained, pausing for effect. "The number one spot."

My eyebrows raised in response.

"Suppose he were able to take just a small percentage of clients from you," she continued, "perhaps two or three big accounts. He could dominate that gap in a heart beat, couldn't he?"

"From the looks of her today, it sounds like he pretty much dominated that gap last night, didn't he?" Jake joked.

I couldn't help but laugh at that one.

The waiter chose that moment to come back with our drinks and take our orders.

"Where does he live? Why haven't you been to his loft, yet?" Rose asked.

"I don't know. Somewhere two floors up. He says we can't go there because of his roommate, that it will compromise the arrangement," I explained.

"Well, fuck that." Rose snorted. "I say you go scope it out."

"I'm planning on investigating it tomorrow. I'm going to ask that blond kid who works in my building where Edward lives."

"Good, and after you do that, you need to end it," Rose suggested sternly.

"Rose, I've been fighting with myself for a week and a half now. I can't . . . I just can't say no to him."

"Imagine if this goes public, Bella -" Alice cut in.

"I've thought of that as well. Look, if anything happens that compromises us . . . we'll stop it."

"If it's that easy, why haven't you stopped it already?" Rose took a drink of her lemon water and raised her perfectly sculpted eyebrows expectantly. "What makes you think that the longer you go through with this, the easier it will be to break away when the shit hits the fan, which you know it will?" Rose and her magnificant foresight. How could she know that the shit would ultimately hit the fan? Well. . . I suppose she had it right. This secret of ours couldn't possibly last forever. Nothing ever does, especially anything good.

"A wolf only gnaws it's own foot off when it's chained to a rock. It doesn't do it just because it ultimately _will _be chained to said rock," I challenged.

"But if that wolf knew that not having a foot would keep him from being chained in the first place -"

"Wait, I'm confused. Who's the wolf?" Jake blurted.

"I'm the wolf," I explained, looking back to Rose, who pursed her lips and shrugged defiantly.

"You know I'm right," she said.

"Regardless . . . things don't seem to be a problem now," I blubbered, instantly realizing the idiocy of that statement once it had left my lips. Just because they weren't a problem now doesn't mean things won't eventually fall off shit hill, and land in a huge pile of angst, awkward business outings, self destruction, and sleepless nights.

"What happens when you fall in love with him?" Rose brought to my attention.

"Who says that's where I'm headed? You know as well as I do that sex does not always equal love," I argued.

"I read an article a few days ago about the mating habits of the prairie vole," Rose started.

"What?" I stifled a giggle and took a sip of my water as well. "What in the hell is a prairie vole, and what does it have to do with my sex life?"

"They're like these little mice that live out in Arkansas or something. They also happen to be one of the whole three percent of species that are monogamous. Anyway, these researchers have found out that when these voles mate, their brains produce dopamine, oxytocin, and vasopressin, the same chemicals that are released when humans have sex. These chemicals also happen to be those released when snorting cocaine, or shooting heroin, for example. It's the same kind of feeling, the same kind of rush. If you release these chemicals repeatedly with the same person, you're bound to develop some sort of "addiction" to it and to that person. Sex evolves into love, and love is the most addictive chemical reaction your brain can have.'

'The article went on to explain the three stages of addiction, Bella. Obsession, withdrawal, and relapse. They, then, compared these stages to those of a typical relationship. Lust, romance, and long term commitment. Sound familiar? Lust to obsession, withdrawal to romance, and long term commitment to relapse. Guess what they found out? The more you fuck the same person, the more you become addicted to them, whether they're right for you or not, really whether you even like them or not. That's why so many women are trapped in relationships they don't like with men they no longer love. If they could just keep their legs closed long enough to withdrawal completely, perhaps they'd have a fighting chance. But you, Bella, you need to be prepared for the next step when that happens, and it _will _scientifically happen. I see where this is going, and so far, it doesn't look good for you. Either you fall in love, and he breaks your heart. Or the story goes public, and Jenks forces you to break your own heart. The woman always takes the fall, Bella."

"I'm doing a pretty good job at keeping my heart guarded, thank you."

"Yeah, it certainly looks like you are," Alice joked, giving me a poke in the ribs.

"Well, thanks for the sex-ed lesson, Dr. Ruth. I'll keep that in mind," I jested, looking from Rose to the empty space in front of me.

"Bella . . . please be careful. I got you this position. I don't want to look like an ass if you mess it up."

"Oh, well if that's the real reason for your concern, why didn't you just say so to begin with? I'll end it tomorrow," I sarcastically responded.

"I'm not only watching out for my own ass, believe it or not. I'm watching out for yours as well, however swollen and stinging it might be," Rose acidly replied.

"Let's just move on, huh? There are two reasons why we're here today, neither of which have to do with my love life." I rolled my eyes at her and redirected my attention to Alice.

"I know I have to sign the contracts, what's the other reason we're here?" Rose inquired.

"I have some news," Alice started, looking nervously from me back to them.

"Well, come on then. Out with it," Jake insisted, waving his hands at her.

"Jazz got a big promotion at work. They've almost doubled his salary," Alice hesitantly began, taking a sip of her tea.

"That's great. What are you going to do with the extra cash?" Rose asked.

"I'd buy a yacht," Jake added, leaning back in his chair to cross his arms.

"Have a baby," Alice quietly responded.

My jaw dropped in fake surprise, but the look on everyone else's face was absolutely priceless. Rose was more shocked than anything else, while Jake simply smiled and started to laugh. "What?" he snorted. "Are you serious?"

"We're pregnant," Alice elaborated with a giant smile.

"Have you told Mom and Dad?" Rose instantly said.

"No, not yet. I was planning on doing that next, once I had your blessing," Alice explained, seeming taken aback by Rose's immediate response.

"Oh my God," Jake yelped with excitement instantly throwing his hand over his mouth in amazement.

"Wow, congratulations," Rose bellowed, rising to walk around the table. She threw her arms around Alice's neck and embraced her lovingly. Jake was next, almost on the verge of tears himself. I gave Alice a wink and a tiny hug, just so she knew I would keep our secret. They didn't need to know that I knew first. It didn't matter anyway. Alice had told them before her parents, and that's all that counted. The waiter eventually brought our food to our table while the excitement of Alice's news only intensified.

We spent the majority of the meal talking about their plans, and how Alice wanted to do the baby room. Of course Rose had a problem with waiting until the birth to know the sex, while Jake seemed enamored and immediately went to work on writing down baby names. It was evident that Rose was happy for Alice, and wanted nothing but the best for her. But deep down, I knew Rose was eternally jealous. She longed for the relationship Alice had with Jasper and was tired of being alone, though she never really found someone she felt compatible with. She was constantly in a catch twenty two; she hated getting to know people, yet she longed to know _somebody._

A huge salad and a plate of mushroom spaghetti firmly resting in my stomach, the banter eventually rounded back to my love life.

"Okay, I'm putting it to a vote. We're going seventh grade on this shit. Round robin, let's go. I vote get rid of him before you spiral out of control," Alice said, looking to Jake sitting to her right.

"I say if he makes you happy, he makes you happy. Keep screwing him. I haven't seen you this tired in weeks. A long night shows, and honey, the long night was worth it. Fuck his brains out," Jake replied, giving me his suggestive wink and smile.

"What? Five days ago you were all about fucking some stranger at a club, and a half an hour ago, you were sitting there babbling about "Rose talking some sense into me." Now you want me to stick it out with him?" I protested.

"That was before he brought out the wanton slut we all knew was hiding inside of you. Five days ago, you were all _Oh-I-need-to-break-up-with-him-I-need-to-end-it._ Now, you're all _Yeah-he-beat-me-with-a-paddle-and-I-liked-it._ Sex that great is not something you should throw away just because you're scared," he continued.

I turned my attention to Rose and crossed my arms. "And you?"

"End it, Bella," she stated firmly.

"Well, being that I'm the only one who has any real say in this, I vote to stick it out . . . if only to find out what he's up to. Suppose he does have something to gain, suppose I catch him in the act."

"Suppose that hurts you more than anything else he could possibly do," Rose added. "Suppose you love him when you find out he's stabbing you in the back. What then?"

I shifted my gaze to Jake who smiled and shot a wink my direction. "Don't listen to these hags, Bells. This one's pregnant, and the other hasn't been laid in years."

"Hey!" Rose groaned, smacking him on the back of the head. "I get laid. I just don't have _relationships_. . . and for good reason. The sex gets boring after about a week."

"What if the sex were only getting better?" I asked with a snort.

"It doesn't matter. An enemy is an enemy. How well do you know him, Bella? Like really know him? Perhaps you need to do some spying yourself. I'll call my friend over at the Department of Defense. Do you want me to pull his background information?"

"What? Rosalie! That's ridiculous, not to mention illegal," Alice protested.

"How much would that cost me?" I replied, completely ignoring Alice's outburst all together.

"A well marinated steak with that sauce you used to make all the time," Rose responded quickly.

"Wait, Bella. That's a little extreme. You don't need to see that," Jake interjected.

"It probably doesn't say anything juicy anyway. Besides, who's to say he hasn't already seen mine? The man sure knows a lot about me."

Rose's eyes perked in interest. "Such as?"

"A freakish amount. It's as if he's been spying on me for years or something."

Rose crossed her arms and cocked her head to the side. "Isabella Swan, you might have something there."

"Get me the file," I demanded.

"See, _this_ is why you don't have relationships, Rose. Your buddy at the Department of Defense throws their dirty laundry in your face before they have a chance to clean it up for you," Jake joked, shooting a crooked grin at Alice who immediately returned it.

Rose ignored the two of them and instead focused intensely on my face. She knew I was being serious and that nothing these two could say would deter me. My curiosity was eating away at what little self respect I had left, and I just had to know what that file said, I had to know if he had ever done anything like this before. Tax records, background checks, and credit reports sure tell you a lot about a person. Hell, I could probably take one look at those documents and learn more about him than I had in two weeks of fucking his brains out.

"I'll try," Rose eventually said. "Meanwhile, you'd do well to check your laptop. See if he's been using it, and, do yourself a favor, find out where he lives."

"I'm already on it."

Rose shook her head and stifled a laugh. "What am I going to do with you?" She rose and pushed her chair under the table to walk towards the entrance. The three of us followed her lead.

"You'll sit back and silently watch me destroy myself if only for the chance to say you told me so," I snidely murmured, causing a giggle from Jake and Alice, but a strong look from Rosalie. We walked out to the street and our drivers pulled up to the sidewalk.

"You know me too well." Rose gave me a small smile as she threw an arm around my shoulders.

She gave Alice a hug and congratulated her one last time before climbing into her limo, followed by Jake. She would evidently drop him off on her way back to the office.

"You're ridiculous," Alice chided, scooting into the back of our ride.

"No one will ever know about my retrieving his file, Alice, but I feel like I need to do this."

"You don't need to do this. You just want to, incredibly bad. Why can't you just ask him? Just be blunt with him."

"He doesn't work like that," I explained, drumming on my kneecaps.

"Hmm . . . may I remind you that pulling someone's confidential information without their permission is a huge felony? You'll end up some big ladies bitch if you aren't careful," Alice warned.

"It's the Department of Defense, Alice. It's fine. Trust me, Rose does this all the time. Remember when you first started dating Jasper?"

"Yeah and I found out he owed a porn store like two hundred dollars or something. That sure made me happy I pulled his information, Bella," Alice sarcastically ranted. "Besides, this isn't Jasper we're talking about. Jasper is a guidance counselor at a rich high school for over privileged snots. Edward Cullen is your competitor. If he found out about this, he could sue you and Dyco Tech. Then, we'd have to let him buy us our just to shut him up."

"I think you're overreacting. I don't think he'd do that to me. Besides, I think Rose is on to something. If he is trying to stab me in the back, it's better I find out about it now before he breaks my - " My voice broke a little at the end causing Alice to raise her eyebrows in response.

"Uh oh . . . you're already there aren't you."

"Shut it, preggo."

"Bella! This was just supposed to be sex. Some silly arrangement," she hissed.

"It still is . . . I don't know. I'll decide how I feel about it after tomorrow. Something's not right about this man."

"I worry about you, love. I really do."

"I worry about myself," I sighed, turning my attention to the pedestrians hustling about outside my window.

The rest of the ride was silent. We arrived back at the office around one thirty, just in time for another meeting. This particular one was about our military contract with the government. Dyco Tech had been developing revolutionary espionage equipment for the last five years, and the TTA would mark the pinnacle of that research. We finally had some "real spy equipment" to showcase.

The primary and most expensive design was a miniature rover that had a 20 megapixel lens built into the top. This lens sat on top of a revolving sphere, enabling 360 degrees of view. This rover was operated by what resembled a playstation remote and could reach distances of 800 yards before any decrease in video signal. To top it off, the rover was the size of a cock roach. Like I said, truly revolutionary.

This got me thinking. Just what exactly was Edward Cullen hiding in his loft? What kind of skeletons went bump in the night when he tried to shut those pretty green eyes? My mind instinctively went to the most extreme. He had killed someone. He'd murdered them brutally and hidden bits of their body parts throughout his kitchen.

_Some roommate . . ._

_HA!_

Edward didn't seem the Jeffery Dahmer type. In fact, he seemed too calm to be real. I'd told him about Dean's banquet and he barely broke a sweat. I told him about my stealing his client, and he brushed it off like some minor detail. Perhaps Rose was right . . . perhaps he didn't care because he was planning to do the same thing to me, but three fold, or even ten fold.

This sinking realization hit me like a wrecking ball. I had seriously put myself and my company at risk by even allowing him in my life whatsoever, let alone my loft. So many reckless nights where I had fallen asleep before him, or woken up to a note beckoning me downstairs. Edward let himself out, and let himself back in last night. How in the hell did he do that? Surely he didn't leave the door unlocked, that would be foolish. Had he made himself a key? Molding puddy is easy to come by in this line of work, but that would be lunacy. That would be so . . . violating. He wouldn't do that . . . would he?

Surely two weeks ago I wouldn't conceive myself of committing a privacy felony, but here I sit, anxiously awaiting the background information of my arch nemesis. If I was capable of such things, surely he would be as well. I had to check my laptop almost immediately. My breathing began to pick up as a sickening pain welled in the pit of my stomach.

_Oh My God.__ I'd just screwed myself._

"Bella? Are you ready to present?" Alice whispered, her warm hand shaking my wrist to wake me from my stupor.

I shook my head a little, startled to suddenly be sitting in front of my peers. I suppose, in the heat of my droning, I'd forgotten where in the hell I was and what I was supposed to be doing. I snapped my gaping jaw shut and hesitantly looked around the room. "Okay, everyone . . . " I nervously began. After a few hesitant sentences, I got back into the swing of things.

I was wrong to be thinking about him at work. I had to focus on getting my staff ready for these conventions in a few weeks.

An hours worth of talking later, I felt better about my companies grasp on what we were facing and how important it was that we prevail. This upcoming quarter was pivotal in directing how next year would play out. After I felt like we all understood where Dyco Tech was headed, I announced objectives covered and made my way back to the confines of my office. I painfully shuffled to my chair and threw my folders to the side of my desk.

Attempting to work was pointless. All I could think about was him. Rose was right, love was an addiction disorder. First came the obsession and the addiction. All you can think about is that drug . . . that person. Then the withdrawal. It physically hurt to be away from that person, that chemical, that oxytocin. All combined to ultimately form relapse. A bitter cycle. One finds themselves back to square one with obsessions and withdrawals.

My fingers casually swept the length of my desk and pried open the top drawer, instantly landing on the binoculars and bringing them to my eyes. I stood, taking a few unsteady steps towards the curtains, and inched them to the side. He was at his desk, as usual, curling the back of his hair with one finger while his exceptionally gorgeous assistant reviewed some paperwork with him. She stood to his right, hunched over his desk while he typed away on the computer.

He started laughing at something and then swiveled my direction while Blondie started to look over her shoulder. I quickly ducked behind my curtains and crept back to my chair, slowly easing down on the cold leather to return to my work. I supposed there were things I could have prepared for Dean, reports to glance over. I still had to finalize that contract with Vanderhausen, not to mention pack. When would I find time to pack for two weeks bouncing around the country.

I collapsed on my desk, my head banging the strong wood with a loud thud. I closed my eyes and allowed a few minutes of solace. Nothing. Absence. Emptiness.

_Buzz. Buzz._

Grunting, I reached my hand into my purse and retrieved my blackberry, sitting up to bring it into focus.

_New text message_  
_The Spy_

_"Now I understand the curtains.__ Control issues?"_

I bit my bottom lip, debating how to respond.

_"What are you talking about?"_

A few minutes later, my phone buzzed again.

_"You can see what you want, but I'm left to my own imagination.__ Gotcha.__ Point taken.__ We'll talk soon."_

_"You ARE the enemy, you know."_

Seconds passed like hours as I waited for a response. When nothing came, I assumed he'd gotten ticked at me and I'd hear a lecture about it later.

Back to work I went, thinking of anything and everything I could possibly get done. I had to keep myself distracted, less I be tempted to look again. Around five thirty, Alice came in to say goodbye with a grim look on her face. "Bella, I should tell you something," she announced when she'd fully entered my office and shut the door behind her.

"What's up, doll?" I glanced up at her with a smile.

"We still haven't received Vanderhausen's paperwork. It's been almost two weeks. Should I call them tomorrow?"

I nodded and pulled his file up on my computer. Alice was right. Payment and paperwork reported absent. "Yes, please call them tomorrow and ask what the fuck is going on."

"Gotcha. Try not to be here too late tonight, huh? Warming lotion . . . remember that." Alice waved goodbye and took off, gently closing the door behind her.

I took a deep breath and considered peeping. I wanted to do it so damn bad. I had to know what he was up to, but I also knew that I needed to resist that temptation. No sooner did I think about this that my phone began vibrating and belting out the Mission Impossible theme song. I rummaged through my Mary Poppins bag and pressed answer once I finally had it in my grasp. It was him.

"Hello," I greeted, painfully crossing one leg over the other as I swiveled my chair the direction of the windows. I inched the curtain back a few millimeters, trying my best to remain hidden from his view.

"How was your day?" he asked, skipping the greeting all together. His beautiful hair was in it's normal disarray, as was his tie and button down. Sleeves rolled to his elbows, he leaned against the window and stared into mine.

"Interesting. Learned some things, ignored other things. How about you?"

"About the same actually. Are you tired?"

"Exhausted. Somebody only let me have three hours of sleep last night," I teased.

"Imagine how you'll feel tomorrow," he retorted, flashing me a shit eating grin.

"HAH!" I couldn't help but laugh. I'd been known to pass out standing up if I was tired enough. "_If _you can keep me awake tonight."

"Hm . . . I don't think you'll want to sleep through this one."

"What? Are you going to break out the whips and chains?"

"Is that something you'd be interested in trying?"

"N-N . . . Well . . . I don't know. Maybe," I answered with mild nervousness and tension evident in my tone. I'd seen a few pornos along these lines and, to be honest, that was not something that was up my alley in any way, shape, or form. But I wouldn't back down from him. If he was destined to whip me, well, I'd just have to let it happen and deal with the consequences of that afterwards.

"I was kidding, Bella. I don't own any whips and chains. Though if that's what's hiding at the bottom of your treasure chest, I'm deeply saddened that you didn't bring them out to play earlier."

I giggled and threw my hand over my face at the thought of what was really buried in that second level. "That's not what's in there, I can assure you."

"Wonderful. Then, listen carefully. Do you know how to get to the Boat Basin?"

_The Boat Basin? _My heart skipped a beat at the thought that we would be going sailing tonight. "I believe so."

"Go home. Grab your chest and a change of clothes. Meet me there." He sounded as if he was going to hang up, but then continued speaking. "One more thing, Bella, about your message. 'Observe your enemies, for they first find out your faults.' Have you found mine yet?"

Faults. Surely Edward Cullen had faults, but I hadn't put much thought to what those actually might be. I had only seen the pretty face, the brilliant eyes, the bronze hair. I hadn't thought about what might be wrong with him. He didn't sleep, I knew that much. Or, at least he pretended not to sleep. He wanted me to think there was nothing wrong, but I knew better. The boy had a fetish for control, dominance. Not uncommon for a man in his profession. Yet, he was compassionate and observant. He had managed to figure out my life, almost before I was able to. "That's rather prophetic, Mr. Cullen. Did you think of that on your own?" I managed to reply.

He ignored my comment completely. "I know one of yours," he teased, stringing out the last syllable for emphasis.

"Excuse me?"

"You, my dear, are a natural voyeur. You love being watched, though you tend to close your eyes at the _very . . . best . . . parts."_

"And my control issues?" I asked, referring to his text earlier.

"That's why you still have the curtains hanging in your office. At least here, you have the power to see me anytime you wish. Though that luxury is not one I can share. Notice how I have not returned the favor."

"And why is all of this a fault?" I started to protest, but his sweet voice stopped me yet again.

"Because a voyeur with control issues is called a stalker, Bella."

"You'd be the expert," I acidly responded.

"It wasn't so I'd stop looking at you, it's so you'd stop looking at me. Admit it," he demanded.

I damn near collapsed on my desk. This man could read me like a damn book.

"Okay," I whimpered. "I admit it. But what about you -"

"The Boat Basin. Marina dock number 74. _The Mississippi Queen._Eight o clock."

I couldn't control my laughter at that point. "You named your boat after a Mountain song?"

"Hey, I'm surprised you knew that. Good job, Jeopardy facts. Eight O'Clock. Don't be late, it's the closest thing to my loft that you're gonna get." With that, the line went dead. I peered up at him as he shot me a wink and hit the lights in his office before heading for the door.

I tossed my phone into my purse and returned my gaze to the unfinished work on my computer screen. It could wait. Grabbing my things, I raced out of my office and down the hallway to the elevators. Like so many times before, I pushed the button repeatedly, praying for the doors to open swiftly. They finally did, much faster than normal, and I raced inside to press the button for the lobby.

As I paced the tiny space waiting to reach the ground, I retrieved my phone from my purse and looked at the time. Six thirty already. I had just enough time to run home, get changed and grab the chest. I was pretty sure that the Boat Basin was about thirty minutes from my house, and I'd do well to just take my car. That way if things went haywire tonight, I'd have an immediate escape.

The elevator reached the lobby, the doors sliding to either side as I squeezed in between them. I waved to Ollie, who was just starting his shift, while I rushed through the revolving doors and briskly made my way to my car. All the build up, all the energy wasted thinking about him today, and the time was almost here. I would finally touch him again.

I instantly regretted thinking that. It meant that Rose was right. I was falling for him, and when the shit ultimately did hit the fan, it would hurt ten fold. My foot was still on the brake in my office parking garage, my hand brushed over the gear shifter to my right.

Stay or go?

To care or not to care?

I was at odds with myself, and that fact I found quite ridiculous. It didn't matter what I thought now, or what anyone had tried to tell me. I was already on that boat. I was already fucking him. My heart had already been made up, it was my mind who was delaying things.

_Gosh, listen to me. I sound like a thirteen year old girl, crowing over some stupid boy at school._

In this moment, as I shifted the car into reverse, I gave up fighting. I would find out where he lived, and still do all the research I was planning, but I couldn't struggle with this anymore. My body was obviously telling me that this was the right way to go, and the fact that I was even debating it meant that whatever I was feeling bordered on sinful. Suppose I did fall in love - s_hiver -_ with the enemy.

_What then?_

The ride home was torturous, mostly consisting of my internal struggle with the urge to back out of tonight. I felt myself growing weaker by the second; his uncanny ability to coerce me into anything simply buckled me at the knees. He knew a ton more about me than I knew of him, forcing me to admit that he was right earlier. Edward Cullen probably knew all my faults, and had accounted for them already. For example, one of my hugest flaws was how I second guess every decision I make up until the very last minute, when I ultimately make the right one. Each time I have second guessed myself around him, he stepped in and made the decision for me. The night at the club, I tried to end it and he pretended not to hear my rant. When I couldn't repeat it, he started dancing with me. Problem solved. When I tried to stop answering his calls, he mysteriously shows up at my loft right in the middle of my rabbit session. How did he know? Why was the timing so perfect?

It was like he was . . . _watching me._

Cue the light bulb! Holy. Fucking. Hell!

What if he _was _watching me? But how?

He certainly hid condoms all over my house, why not tiny cameras or cockroach sized rovers?

My heart rate picked up for a second, and as I pulled up to the parking spot for my complex, I started laughing. _That _was quite preposterous. There was no possible way I would have missed those things. I just searched my house a few days ago for said birth control. Surely I would have noticed something along the lines of spyware.

Needless to say, when I reached my loft, I instinctively checked all the air ducts for any signs of foul play. Nothing. I checked all the shelves, all the cabinets, and the fridge. I looked over every surface, including those in my bedroom and bathroom. I could see nothing that would make me think he had planted anything here.

I had heard of microphone pens, some that are undetectable. But upon inspection, I found no pens in my apartment. Not a single one. I suppose if pens could be made into microphones, anything could, huh? I could be here all night, picking everything in my house to see if it's attached to a camera or microphone. Suffice to say, I didn't find anything out of the ordinary.

Time to move on to my laptop because I hadn't forgotten about the conversation with Rose. I had left him alone in my loft far too many times than I was willing to admit. He would have had amble access to confidential files about Dyco Tech.

I threw myself down on the couch and opened my Mac on the coffee table. I pressed history on the browser only to realize that there was nothing out of the ordinary. I hadn't been on this thing in a few days, so nothing was listed that shouldn't be. I also don't ever access my company mainframe from this network. It's too risky. Too many people live too close.

I then checked all of my documents, particularly those related to recent clients. Once the customer had signed a contract, there was basically no getting out of it until the term ended. Our fan-fucking-tastic lawyer made sure of that. So the only people Edward would be interested in would be the newest clients. Vanderhausen, Smith, and Anderson; neither of which had turned in a contract yet. Last accessed dates for those files looked good as well. They hadn't been opened since I last looked at them myself.

Okay, so Rose might have been wrong about a few things. Edward wasn't snooping, at least not here, not with my computer.

So . . . what the hell? Was he really a mind reader? Like something out of a science fiction novel?

Shaking my head at the anticlimax, I stalked to my bedroom and retrieved my chest, dragging it from the closet to plop on my bed and flip open the top.

On the first level was a different array of lubricants and plastic vibrators. Loads of fun, but nothing too crazy. This part of the chest separated in the middle and slid to either side, revealing a secret, lower level. A black velvet sheet lay over the contents hidden underneath. Oh the things Edward would think of me once he laid his gorgeous eyes on what was in here. Sure, the rabbit was one of the occupants of chest level two, but there were others. Others that I hadn't even used or thought about using since I purchased them.

_Confession time._

I used to sell this stuff in college. Alice and I hosted sex toy parties to make extra money for school. Over time, I collected quite the little squirrel stash. Various arrays of tie downs, blindfolds, anal plugs, suction devices, and cock rings filled the depths of level two. Name it and I've probably got it hidden in there.

That thought made me even more nervous about tonight. I didn't want him to get the wrong idea. I was a freak, sure, but I wasn't a sex addict. These things just accumulate over time. I needed models to show everyone in order to sell them. After I stopped hosting, I felt it a waste of money to throw them out, and I thought about giving them away, but you don't just give unwrapped vibrators to people. So I kept them in case I ever decided to start my business back up again.

Okay, that's a lie. I kept them to use them. What girl in her right mind would throw away a treasure chest filled with goodies like these?

Overall, the thing weighed about thirty pounds and I could probably carry it downstairs to the car with no problem, but it wasn't exactly the lightest thing in the world.

Slipping out of my stilettos, I kicked them back into my closet and unzipped my pants to slide them to the ground. I pulled my top over my head and looked at my underwear. In my haste to dress this morning, I'd thrown on some rather old attire. I stripped them from my body and walked to my dresser, retrieving a matching blue and white polka dot set to replace it. I sashayed to my closet and took a few steps inside to find the perfect dress.

As I past my beige, Dick Tracy trench coat, I thought about wearing that and only that to the boat tonight. Tempting, yes, but best reserved for another day, one where I didn't have to drive thirty minutes to get to him. I landed on a cream colored halter dress I'd bought a few years ago for a blind date that ended horribly. Since that date, I'd never been able to wear this dress again, it's image instantly reminding me of the loser who'd showed up to meet me. Tonight it would have it's rebuttal, it's second wind, and hopefully I could bring a new connotation to it's slim fitting fabric. I slipped into my leather boots and ran into my bathroom to get my toiletries for tomorrow morning.

Rushing back into the bedroom, I threw my things in my backpack, lopped it over my shoulders and headed for the door. I made sure to lock it behind me, shaky hands struggling with the key while it turned in the lock. I trudged down the hallway towards the elevators, managing to press the down button while balancing the chest in my other arm. A few antagonizing seconds later, the doors opened, revealing my next hurdle: making it to the marina.

On the ride down to the lobby, I ran over his words in my head. _"Marina dock 74, The Mississippi Queen . . . it's the closest thing to my loft that you're going to get."_ What the hell was he hiding in his loft? And why did he consider his boat a "the closest thing to his loft?"

This man was so damn confusing. I'm sure his salary equaled or even exceeded mine. Why would he even have a room mate to begin with? Perhaps it was an ill relative who stayed with him most of the time because he looked after them. Doubtful, the man was barely home. When he wasn't at the office until 10 pm, he was at my place, screwing me three ways to Sunday. Yes, but what did he do _before _we started fucking?

Perhaps he has a child. Eyes widening with the slightest bit of shock, I realized how much this situation would make sense and fill in the blanks, but I knew for a fact that he didn't have a child. Carlisle never mentioned any grandchildren, and Edward didn't seem the father type.

Perhaps it was not the occupants of his home that was the problem. Perhaps it was the location of his home all together. Perhaps he really didn't live in my building at all.

I've got to get tonight over with.

Go to the boat, Bella. Ride that fucker until the sun comes up, and then get your ass in gear. You'll have twenty four hours to research, dig, and collect information. Come Friday, one of two things would happen:

I would find that there's nothing suspicious about him . . . and he really is a mind reading freak.

Or I would find that he's after my job, my clients and/or my reputation, and voyeur boy was too good to be true all along.

A sickening stab deep in the pit of my stomach told me that the latter was more likely and made me want to stop this arrangement all together. The lobby doors opened and I froze. My feet refused to move forward. I was in deep shit . . . deep, deep shit . . . if it was true, if that's what he was up to.

I should stop this. I should go back upstairs and forget about this whole thing, but I knew that I wouldn't. I knew that I'd see it through to the end, just like I did with everything else in my life.


	12. The Mississippi Queen

Chapter 12

"The Mississippi Queen"

One unsteady foot in front of the other, I found myself eventually sitting in traffic on the way to the marina. I drummed my fingers on top of my steering wheel as I crept along. Gas, brake, gas, brake. My stomach churned at what was waiting for me once I'd made it to the Boat Basin.

I almost hated Rosalie for putting the idea into my head. Ignorance is such sweet bliss. Not that I had any evidence to support my suspicions, her explanation just fit so incredibly well. He had a lot to gain from getting close to me. It was only I that faced the guillotine should he manage to take the number one spot away. If he was capable of securing two or three of my clients, it would be game over for Isabella Swan.

I made the left into the parking lot for the Boat Basin and felt my stomach drop out from under me. My palms sweaty and knees wobbly, I turned the car off and retrieved my chest from the trunk.

How would I get through tonight without accusing him of privacy fraud? Shit. I'd be the biggest hypocrite alive if I even uttered a word.

So I'd shut up, walk my ass in there, play his game, and then start my own.

It was getting dark, the sun almost beyond the horizon, and, as I heaved my treasure chest into my arms, I looked around for his boat. Each pier was clearly marked, so it would be easy to find at least. Throwing my backpack over my shoulders, I headed down the pier marked 60-80 with unease. Tonight would be interesting to say the least.

When I reached number 74, I stood in front of what resembled a tiny yacht. It was at least forty feet long and fifteen feet across with two levels spanning upward, and a huge amount of space under deck. This boat was freaking unreal.

Written across the back in brilliant blue calligraphy was "_The Mississippi Queen." _

The name still made me laugh.

Amazed, I pushed the chest to my hips and freed the other hand in order to rummage through my purse for my cellphone. Once retrieved, I pressed redial to let him know I was here, crossed the tiny, wooden bridge onto the boat and looked around for any sign of him.

Nothing, stillness.

As I anxiously stepped onto the deck, his smooth voice resonated through the phone.

"You have reached the voice mailbox of Edward Cullen, Chief Executive Officer for Cullen Incorporated. If this is an emergency, please hang up and dial -"

His phone had gone directly to voice mail. No ringing, no awkward silence suggesting his he was out of signal. He must have turned it off.

_What the fuck?_

I looked back towards the parking lot to see if his car was here. I instantly realized just how pointless this was because I've never even seen his car. I wasn't even sure if he had one. Everytime I'd seen him go somewhere, he had taken a cab.

Suddenly, a tiny creak of the deck came from right behind me. I jumped and turned around, instantly losing hold of the chest which fell to the ground with a muffled thud. "Oh God!" I shrieked before realizing who it was that scared me.

"You're late," he purred, merely centimeters from my face.

"Traffic," I explained, looking up to meet his gaze. It was piercing, like he could see right through me. The bastard could smell my anxiety. He was dressed in a comfortable looking black t-shirt with rugged jeans that hung off his hips in such an enticing matter. It was difficult for me to keep from jumping him right then and there.

"Hmm . . ." Edward nodded and inhaled deeply, softening his features to shoot me a wink. "Your pasta is getting cold."

_Pasta?_

I had completely forgotten to eat. Shit, I hadn't even had time to eat since lunch with Rose, at which I'd had pasta, ironically. I wasn't particularly fond of eating the same thing twice in one day, but I'm not one to turn down a free meal; especially one that was cooked by someone else. Edward pointed to the stairs leading to a higher part of the deck, gesturing for me to walk that way before leaning down to pick up my chest.

I smiled at him and headed towards my dinner. Two little steps to my right led to a narrow passage along the side of the boat and, as I ran my hand along the rail to keep my balance, the soft metal tinkling sent chills down my spine. Before I knew it, I stood in front of a scene right out of a movie. A dining room set was arranged in the middle of the deck with a hundred and fifty Christmas lights surrounding it, wrapped in various wires and poles throughout the boat. Four black, metal chairs with white cushions were tucked until the matching table with a white cloth draped over it.

"Wow," I gasped as I took a step closer.

Fettuccine Alfredo topped our plates and Merlot filled our glasses. Edward had planned an intimate dinner for us tonight, and, taking a deep breath, I started to pull a chair out from under the table. Just as I did, two warm hands wrapped themselves around my waist.

"Are you hungry?" he whispered, giving me a kiss on the shoulder.

"Starving," I replied as I nudged my head closer to his.

"I assumed you enjoyed Italian."

Assumed I enjoyed Italian, huh? I wonder how would one come to that conclusion? Perhaps from following me to an Italian restaurant this afternoon? "You shouldn't assume," I teased.

"Because I'd make an ass out of "u" and "me"?"

"No, you just look like an ass to me."

He smiled, nudging me on the side to pull the chair out. I pursed my lips and sat, scooting the heavy chair in on my own as he walked around the table to sit across from me. Picking up my fork to twirl some noodles around it, I shifted my anxious gaze from my plate to him. He placed his elbows on the edge of the table and crossed his hands over his plate to rest his chin on the top of his knuckles.

The soft lights wrapped him in an amber glow, radiating off his pulsating aura. His eyes feral and lips curled, he patiently waited for me to take the first bite. I assumed he wanted to see my reaction, whatever that may be.

The tension in the atmosphere was damn near strangling. So many questions. Too many questions. I needed to know everything about him, and I wanted to know it now. On the other hand, the way his fingers folded over each other under his chin reminded me of how strong they were, and the way I liked them wrapped around my hips as he pounded into me. . .

And those eyes. Staring me down like a piece of meat. He was anxious too, though he hid it well.

"Go on, then," he gently commanded.

Nodding my head but not breaking eye contact, I brought the fork to my mouth and took a bite.

_Holy sweet Jesus._ This cream sauce was amazing and he was fucking bloody brilliant for coming up with it.

"Wow," I managed to whimper as I savored each little burst of flavor breaking on my tongue. Edward was a quite the master of cooking spices. Oh my God! Could this man be any more perfect? He cooks like he fucks . . . with exquisite attention to detail.

"Do you like it?" he purred.

"I love it," I exclaimed as I took another bite. "It's delicious."

"Perfect," he replied, shooting me a wink as he dug into his plate in front of him.

A few moments passed where neither of us said anything. Typically, I would feel that this empty space deserved conversation, at least some sort of noise. But the gentle crashing of the water against the boat mixed with the thumping of my heart in my chest seemed enough to listen to at the moment. It was rather pleasant actually, and I only seemed to feel this way around him. He didn't see the need to fill time with meaningless jabber, nor did I. It was so . . . _relaxing._ It was like all the pressures of the day fell away with each bite I took.

I swallowed a little piece of chicken, looked into his beautiful emerald eyes and felt Rose's lunch insinuations drip away.

I took a huge gulp of wine and Vanderhausen's missing contracts disappeared.

If he was spying on me or trying to get information about my clients, he wasn't doing it here. He wasn't doing it tonight.

On this boat, it was just him and I.

Edward and Bella.

And the fucking space between us.

Which, at the moment, was threatening to murder me. I wanted him. I needed him. I was so used to seeing him in office clothes that it almost had become a permanent stain on my memory of him. Whenever I saw him like this, so casual and so relaxed, my heart began to rapidly shoot blood to my loins and my knees nearly gave out on me. My body always gave him too much, and tonight wouldn't be any different. Here I sat, squirming in my seat like a five-year-old.

"What are you thinking about over there?" he asked, his smooth voice breaking me from my erratic daydreams.

"Exchange of International Technology Information Act," I blurted, announcing the first thing that came to mind. "Why didn't you tell me about that?"

"As such a big investor, I assumed you already knew who was a part of that Act," he answered, taking a sip of wine. God, those lips. The way they curled around that glass causing that exquisite tongue to slip out and gather any drops left over made me want to reach across this table to use my own tongue instead.

I blinked my eyes a few times, remembering we were in a conversation, and stuttered, "I-I just sign the checks now. That was always Jenks thing."

"Right," he answered with a smile.

"What about Laetitia Casta?" I instantly continued, attempting to avoid any further work talk. This Jenks talk was already bordering on forbidden territory.

He paused and looked up from his plate. "Uh oh. Someone's been doing their homework," he teased, taking another sip of wine.

I laughed as blood flooded my cheeks with mild embarrassment. "ONE Wikipedia page . . . and a _Money Magazine _article."

He flashed me a smug smile and continued eating. "She was a . . ._ friend _. . . to say the least."

"A_ friend_? Like the way we're _friends_?"

"She was there for me at a time when I needed support. That was about the extent of it. And EITI came about because it sucks trying to get technology across international borders. Everyone thinks you're a damned terrorist, especially on long flights to New York. You know, ones with lots of gas."

"Oh no, I understand," I joked, twirling more fettuccine around my fork and bringing it to my mouth.

"Not only that, but China is so far advanced, we'd be lucky to catch up with them in ten years."

"I know. I've been there," I retorted.

"Doesn't it make you sad? Don't you just wish you knew what they know? Could build what they build?"

"Soon, we'll be able to."

"The last time I was over there, they were discussing plans to have a robot in every home by 2030. A standardized automatron that was able to clean, conduct an organized set of commands, and cook!" Edward explained with amazement.

"Aren't you a little paranoid of robots becoming "aware" and taking over the world? You know, The Terminator complex?"

"Well, that would be rather childish, wouldn't it?"

"I don't know. Fifty years ago, no one would have ever thought a computer in every home could be possible. And now they're making robots?"

He nodded, took another sip of wine, then refilled our glasses. "What about you? Do you really think the mass production of electric cars is _that_ possible? That we could have an electric car in every home by 2020? That oil companies would allow that to happen, or even support it?"

My heart damn near skipped a beat. I choked on a sip of wine, composed myself, and gently placed the glass down on the table, my eyes instantly darting to his. "You read my article?"

"The one you wrote when you wanted to get promoted over Jenks Jr?" He nodded his head a few times to confirm. "A couple of times, actually."

"How did you even know about that?"

"They published it in _The Scientist_. One of the few American written articles that ever made into the British magazine. No doubt Dean has seen it as well. Perhaps that explains his being so smitten with you," Edward teased, playfully biting the tip of his tongue with his canines.

"I thought we weren't going to talk about work," I casually retorted.

"Touche," he conceded, scooping the rest of his fettuccine into his perfect mouth.

I licked my lips and took another drink. "What about your roommate, then? Who is it?"

"So, this morning you were dead set on this person being male, now you're conflicted as to their gender? I'm not screwing anyone else, Bella, if that's what you mean."

"Maybe if you were more open to talk about it, I wouldn't be so curi -"

"Why are you so desperate to know?" he interjected, cutting me off completely.

I took a few minutes to compose myself and think of the perfect answer. In the end, I decided he had earned this whiplash of truth and brought it upon himself. Who would I be to deny him of that? "It's like you know everything about me. You always show up at the right moments - You come and go from my loft as you please. I mean, how did you even back get in this morning? Did you mold a key?"

"Are you serious?" he asked sarcastically.

"Edward, you're not being reasonable," I argued.

"Reasonable? Since when has anything about this been reasonable?"

"Where do you really live?" I sternly demanded. No more games, at least not about this. It was time to know.

"Why does it matter?" he instantly shot back.

"Like it or not, this _is_ getting personal. You have access to my life, but not the other way around. All I'm asking for is a story." I stared deeply into his eyes, piercing as they might be, and prayed for a response. "Lie to me if you want."

After a few seconds of silence, he drummed his fingers on the table and looked to the side of the boat. "I find myself in a predicament. I certainly don't want to divulge this information," he whispered, bring his gaze back to mine. "But on the other hand, I am simply incapable of lying to you."

My eyebrows furrowed as I shook my head in confusion. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"With most people, I look them dead in the eyes and tell them whatever they need to hear to get what I want from them. But you . . . well, you have eyes that demand the truth."

There was a moment between us where a powerful, overwhelming sense of . . . _bullshit_ filled the atmosphere. "You're fucking with me," I choked in between a few laughs.

"Of course I'm fucking with you. Bella, it's a much a better idea for you to leave it alone. Trust me."

"Oh, trust you? Yeah. I'll just do that. Good call!" I sarcastically responded, rolling my eyes and taking a sip of wine.

"Are you saying that you don't?"

"In bed, yeah, maybe I trust you. I don't believe you'll hurt me. But in the real world?" I shook my head because I really wasn't sure. Suddenly, his hand reached across the table and pinched the skin on my forearm. "Ouch!" I yelped, instantly pulling my arm towards my chest.

"Was that real?"

"What?"

"This _is_ the real world, Bella, and you _are_ fucking your enemy . . . and you love it. I've accepted that, why haven't you?"

"Why is it so easy for you?"

"Because the sex is otherworldly," he answered with a sexy grin, completely demolishing my argument altogether.

_That bastard._

My cheeks began to burn and I knew my body had revolted against me, allowing him the faintest hint of a blush.

"You think so too, don't you?" he whispered as he tilted his head to one side and raised an eyebrow. "You've never experienced anything like this."

"Nor have you," I instantly shot back in defense. I wouldn't be the only one to appear love stoned tonight.

His eyes lingering on mine with the slightest sense of endearment, Edward took another sip of wine and continued. "That much is true. But you didn't answer the question, Bella."

"Because you run away from mine, Edward."

His defensive eyes stayed on mine for a few seconds before he nodded his head and quietly scooted into the chair next to me, placing his elbows on the table and nervously fiddling with a napkin. "My roommate is Tanya. You know her as my assistant. She needed a place to stay for a few months after a bad break up. She's my cousin, and if she knew what we've been up to, she'd probably castrate me."

I smiled at my tiny victory and chuckled at the thought of her petite frame holding a knife in preparation for an attack, Lena Bobitz style.

"I'm being serious," he continued. "I moved in two floors above you a few weeks ago and she was only three days behind me. I'm just not sure she's ready to hear me fucking some girl in my loft, and if she found out it was you of all people . . . well . . . she'd run right to Daddy Warbucks and then _he'd_ probably castrate me."

So Edward did have something to lose, something to be afraid of. He was just a little better at hiding it than I was. "See, that wasn't so hard. Why didn't you just say that before?"

"I didn't know it was okay to lie to you," he replied in a completely serious tone.

I hit him on the shoulder, playfully. "All of that was a lie?"

"No, no I'm only playing. That much is true," he whispered as he pushed my hair behind my shoulders, leaning in to brush his lips over my neck. "Now it's your turn. The only reason you agreed to this arrangement is because the sex is amazing. Admit it," he whispered against my earlobe.

"You're a smart man, Mr. Cullen. I'm sure you can figure that much out for yourself."

"I want to hear you say it."

"You set my nerves on fire and make my skin tingle. You come around and my panties drop like a school girl. I could come merely thinking about the things your tongue does between my legs," I teased, turning my head to face him.

His features tightened as he pulled back a little to meet my gaze. "You're fucking with me."

"Of course I am."

"You shouldn't," he whispered as his hand fell to my lap, sweeping up my thigh and under my dress to cup my pussy in his palm. He leaned closer to me, rubbing the area slowly and gently, warming me up to his touch. I instinctively spread my legs to allow him better access as my heart rate began to sky rocket. My pupils dilated, my breathing became rapid and all I could think was _"I want to fuck him right here and now."_ His touch was driving me wild, and the gentle sway of the boat from side to side only added to the frenzy. My hand twisted around his shirt as I pulled him closer to me, moaning lightly in his ear.

I felt my blue polka dotted panties started to get soaked and just as I was about to climb on top of him, he stopped and sat back. "Admit it," he purred.

"And you say I have control issues," I whimpered.

He laughed and leaned in to give me a gentle kiss on the cheek. "Leave the plates and follow me," he demanded, rising and walking to the stairs in the middle of the deck, obviously leading to the lower level. I sighed and stood to follow him, entering into the kitchen/dining area once down them. A small refrigerator and matching stove were tucked away to my left while stairs to the back of the boat were right in front of me. An eloquent, mahogany table to my right gave way to a little hallway that wrapped around towards the front of the miniature yacht. Since he was not in here, I assumed that's where he went.

I took a couple of unsteady steps that direction and ran my fingers over the white plaster walls to hold my balance. The bathroom was tucked away in a little room to my left, which I recognized as essential information as soon as I'd discovered it. I continued down the small, dark hall that ended in a rather luxurious bedroom. A few feet inside the darkness, I heard the door shut behind me, startling me and causing me to twist around toward the noise.

"My, you're quite jumpy tonight. Should I be concerned?" He took a few steps toward me, the chest outstretched before him like an offering. He walked to the other side of the small space and plopped it down on a desk opposite the bed.

"Edward, there's something I have to tell you before you open that," I cautiously began.

His head perked in interest and slowly twisted my direction. "Oh, really? This should be interesting. Go on," he antagonized, turning to face me and leaning against the wooden table to await my confession.

"Alice and I . . . used to host sex toy parties in college. Some of the stuff in there hasn't even been used. Just don't . . . judge me," I whimpered.

Edward flashed a sexy smile and moved closer to me. His warm fingers traced over my cheekbones, shooing a stray hair out of my face and sending chills down my spine. "Ms. Swan, are you afraid that contents of your treasure chest will taint my opinion of you?"

"You shouldn't think I'm some sort of . . . sex addict . . . or anything," I continued, looking to floor in order to avoid his rather incredulous gaze.

He laughed, flat out chuckled, at me. "Whatever the contents of your chest, I promise I won't think any less of you." He leaned in and gave me the sweetest kiss before bringing his lips to my ear. "It doesn't take toys to tell me you're an addict, Bella. Good thing you're in like-minded company."

His filthy words damn near made me collapse. My stomach twisted into knots and my thighs quivered. He slowly backed away from me, disappearing into the darkness, and it was only a few seconds later that I heard the dreaded squeak. My eyes clamped shut as he opened Pandora's box, for who knows what sort of evil would be unleashed tonight.

Save only hope. After tonight, there would be no hope. He had seduced me, bewitched me, and left me on the precipice of disillusion and bewilderment. There was no more hope for me.

Either way I looked at it, this arrangement ended painfully. I was in too deep at this point. I couldn't stop the downward spiral if I wanted to.

"Oh my god! Look at you, you little sex addict!" Edward boisterously teased, meaning he had laid eyes on my buried treasure, as it were.

"Oh, hush up!" I roared as I stalked toward him and slammed the top shut. Blood rushed to my face, my knees shook, and my hands trembled. I was embarrassed, thoroughly embarrassed. I knew he would tease me about this, I knew he would make it a big deal. "This was a bad idea, anyway. Now you know why I haven't shown anybody this stuff since I stopped hosting," I ranted under my breath as I went to close the entire chest.

"Bella, stop. I was only kidding," he whispered. His warm fingers wrapped around my wrists to stop me from locking it. "If you don't want to play tonight, we don't have to. We can have regular sex if it would make you feel more comfortable."

I rolled my eyes and looked up to him. "Our sex has never been regular sex. Toys or not," I corrected.

His eyes fixated on mine as he slowly pulled me away from the chest. "I'm sorry I poked fun at you. I didn't mean to embarrass you." He leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on my lips before guiding me towards the sex platform that was his bed. It was built on a cast iron frame with pillars that extended to the ceiling of the little room. As I crawled on top of it, I instantly regretted all those nights spent at my place. These black, 500 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets made me never want to leave. I could crawl into this bed, with it's soft down pillows and thick, velvety duvet, and never get up. Add in the sex God himself, and I may never see the light of day again.

He pulled a few things out and laid them on the night stand next to me, though the room was too dark for me to make out exactly what they were. "Did you bring your cellphone down here?"

"It's in my purse on the upper deck."

"Ah! Do you mind going and getting that for me, please?" he asked as he continued to pull things out of my chest.

"Why?"

"Why do you always have to know all the answers before you agree to anything?"

"What if it's a trick? What if I go up there and when I come back, you've magically disappeared?"

"Hmm . . . " he whispered, turning and taking a few steps my direction. He crawled on top of me and brought his lips inches from mine. "Shall I abduct your sex toys and escape to lost Atlantis with them?" My heart rate instantly picked up at his teasing. I couldn't help it. Any time I was centimeters from this man and he started staring at me with that instinctual feral desire burning behind his green pupils, I lost control of my sensibility. My breathing became erratic, my palms became sweaty, and I lost control of my own speech. I blurted out anything under these conditions.

Edward breathed a quiet laugh and shook his head. "Go get your cellphone, Bella," he demanded before rolling off me and continuing to dig around in the depths of my treasure chest.

I groaned and pulled myself to my feet in order to walk through the bedroom door, around the corner and up the stairs leading to the deck. I stalked to the table, making sure to click my boots on the wooden deck as hard as possible.

_Yeah! Do you hear that, Cullen? _

_Stomp, Stomp, Stomp. _

_I'm not happy about having to walk all the way up here for my damned cellphone, when I don't even know what I need it for._

Once I had my Blackberry in my grasp, I downed the last little bit of wine left in my glass and turned for the lower level once again. I entered into the kitchen, around the corner, past the bathroom and into the bedroom.

Like I had predicted, he was gone . . . along with my chest.

_What. The. Fuck!_

"Edward?" I shouted behind me, toward the back of the boat. "Edward! This isn't funny!"

My phone began to vibrate wildly in my grasp while the Mission Impossible theme resonated in the small, quiet space. "What the fuck, Cullen!" I shouted upon answering.

"My, my, how the tables have turned," he responded.

"Excuse me?"

"Now I see you, but you don't see me," he teasingly replied.

"Are we playing some sick, twisted form of hide and go seek?"

"You won't find me."

I turned toward the tiny closet at the far end of the room. As my hand reached out to turn the knob and open it, Edward's voice echoed, "I'm not in there, love. I haven't fit in there since I was five."

"Why are you doing this?" I anxiously asked, turning back toward the bed.

"Perhaps you should get rid of those curtains . . . or something," he joked.

"That's what this is all abo -"

"It's only nine thirty, Bella. I still own your orgasms for the next two and a half hours, and guess what? This time you can have as many as you want, but you must have at least one and you must do it yourself."

I sighed and walked toward the nightstand where a glow-in-the-dark vibrator, a suction device, an anal plug, and a bottle of lube sat on the edge.

Who am I supposed to be? Fucking MacGuyver? Here, take these toys and make an orgasm out of it?

"That's all you get to use until I say you're done," he antagonized, pushing my limit further and further to the edge.

"Where are you?" I demanded.

"That's not how this works," he explained. "At the office, you see what you want and when you want . . . regardless of how I feel about it, or what I'm doing. I won't reduce myself to buying curtains, but I need my vengeance none the less. Now, strip."

"Edward, I don't feel -"

"Comfortable? It's me, Bella. I'm the only one here. What you do is for my eyes only. Now, strip. Don't make me tell you again," he commanded.

I found myself out of options. I could leave, but that would be the equivalent of running away and I wouldn't let him see my fear. That being the case, I had no choice but to put the Blackberry on speaker, toss it on the bed and pull the halter dress over my head. "At least tell me which direction you're watching me from so that I know which way to face."

"The left."

"My left? Or the left side of the room?"

"Left side of the room," he quickly answered, causing me to instantly turn that direction. "Now, crawl onto the bed and get to work."

I did as he asked, pulling all the toys closer on the bed with me so that I could easily grab them when the time came. I put the Blackberry on the pillow next to my head and relaxed into the comfortable mattress. The weight of my body against the fabric caused an outburst of delicious Edward scent to fluff up around me. It was strong; strong enough for me to conclude that he slept here more often than not, when he did sleep.

I closed my eyes and ran my fingers over my trembling stomach, attempting to soothe any nerves that would allow such a thing. My fingers inched over my covered breasts and ran over my collar bone, instantly sending goosebumps over the rest of my body. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself down, but the pounding from my over-anxious heart continued to echo in my eardrums anyway. If I was going to do this, I would have to imagine myself elsewhere.

"Open your eyes, Bella."

"What? You aren't even here! Why do you care whether they're open or not?" I whined with frustration.

"It's hardly the same without that beautiful shade of brown to accent your features," the velvet voice replied next to my ear.

"Do you want me to come or not?" I snapped.

"At least once," he answered.

"Then shut up, and let me do what I came here to do," I mocked, reiterating his words that he had used so many times on me.

After a few moments of silence, he simply uttered, "Well played, Swan," in a professional and casual manner.

I snapped my eyes closed again and tried to come up with a fantasy to start me off. Edward said I needed to come at least once, and then it would be over. Then he'd be here to finish the job himself, and I could let my anxiety fall to the wayside. I knew this was really about me dropping my inhibitions, so away they went.

I reached to the nightstand for the lube and the pink, glow-in-the-dark vibrator, bringing them in between my legs for better access. I turned the knob on the end of the sex toy which filled the atmosphere with the hum of gentle vibrations. Slipping it between my legs, my imagination took over. Edward and I were transported to my office.

I leaned against my desk, legs crossed in front of me as I waited for him to walk closer. He was decked out in that sexy tailored suit that fit him so damn well. A vibrant desire burning behind his eyes, he stalked toward me and pushed me against the strong wood, sending office supplies crashing to the floor. His hands traveled over my hips to my breasts, dragging my dress from my body on their journey. As he leaned down to kiss me passionately, my arms found their way around his neck, pulling him closer, needing him closer.

In the real world, my legs began to shake from the intensity of this daydream. I ran my hands over my bra, imagining they were his, and released one breast of the confines of the delicate fabric. A small moan escaped my lips as my heaving lungs began to rapidly deliver oxygen to my extremities. The mild buzzing of the vibrator intensified the waves of adrenaline shooting through my body and all I could manage to think was, _"I'm gonna fuck him on my desk one day. Just. Like. That."_

Smiling at my devious plan, I went back to my imagination. I envisioned Edward lifting me up and throwing me across that over sized table, causing my keyboard and computer to smash to the ground as well. In his haste, he must have decided that there was no time for disrobing because he pried my knees apart, unzipped his pants, and plunged deep inside of me.

Instantly wholeness fell over me. The sudden stretch forced a moan through my lips, to which Edward immediately covered with his own. My legs wrapped around his waist and my fingers tangled in his hair. I felt exhilarated, just as I typically did when I daydreamed about him. Using the top of my thigh as leverage to push deeper and harder, he angled his hips to hit that spot that sent me fucking crazy.

"Bella, what are you thinking about?" Edward cooed through the Blackberry speakerphone, breaking me from my office affair.

I slowly opened my eyes and looked around at the dark bedroom, hesitant to respond. "What do you think I'm thinking about?" I whispered in a teasing tone.

"I don't know, but it looks fun. Care to fill me in?"

"If you're so interested, perhaps you should come check things out for yourself," I half whimpered. I was breathless, eager to pick up my fantasy where I had left off, yet hoping he would magically reappear to take me himself.

"Bella, talk to me. What's going on in that beautiful fucking mind?" his voice resonating the slightest bit of frustration.

"Oh, nothing. Just sucking the most perfect cock imaginable," I instigated, licking my lips temptingly.

"Don't fuck with me, love."

"Who said I was fucking with you?" I coyly answered, instantly losing myself again in the friction between me and the dildo.

Edward paused, as if stunned by my answer. He wanted to know what I was thinking about, fine. I'd lay it on him. "And this exquisite cock finds it's way inside of me. God, it feels so good. Fills me completely."

"Now you're fucking with me."

Ignoring him, I closed my eyes again. He could ponder the depths of my imagination for all I cared. He wasn't here to participate, therefore he didn't deserve to know.

_Then again . . ._

It would be fun to tease him. Make sure his "game" backfired.

My mind still incredibly overactive, I returned to my fantasy. Gripping to the shoulders of his jacket, I held his body close to mine and furiously rocked against him.

"Ah, fuck. The desk might break," I whispered.

"Excuse me?" came the voice from my Blackberry.

I stayed steadfast, refusing to break from my dream to acknowledge the cellphone. Edward from reality might be hearing this, but Edward in my head was the one responding to it. The feel of him inside of me was amazing; it was always amazing. We were frenzied, ripping and pulling at each other to get closer. I wrapped my fingers in his soft hair, fisting a bundle to hold his head where I wanted it and, ravaging his lips with mine, I licked and nipped at his soft, pink flesh.

"Did I bite your lip too hard?" I whimpered, to which the illusionary Edward shook his head and wrapped his arms around me. Lifting me up, he flipped me over and pinned me by the shoulders to my desk. As he pushed deeper inside of me, I moaned and pushed back on him.

"Fucking harder, Edward. Deeper," I groaned.

"Shit, Bella. You've got to tell me what's going on," came the voice by my ear.

I ignored him.

"Oh my God, right there. Fucking spank me, Edward."

His hand fell down on my butt a few times causing me to writhe with the pain and pleasure combined. Our bodies collided against each other, shooting electric jolts into the atmosphere around us. I instantly felt as though we were in the middle of a fireworks display. More than that, we were the fireworks. We lit the midnight sky with pure fire, pure sin. It was us, and us alone, that was able to fuel such an enormous display. It was our magnetic force that created such astounding sights.

"Fireworks, Edward. Fucking fireworks," I hissed, not really sure if he was even listening anymore. Real Edward hadn't said anything in quite a while.

Just as I was about to lose grip on reality, both actual and imaginary, I felt my sensitive skin grow tender and the walls in between my legs clamped down on the vibrator. Gripping to the soft sheets around me, I pushed myself over the edge. Soft moans filled the air, my eyes rolled to the back of my head and my hips arched off the bed altogether. The waves of climax hit me hard, pulling me under a rush current of Egyptian cotton and polka dotted lingerie.

"Ah . . . God!" I bellowed, falling back on the pillows to rub the hair out of my face.

"That. . . was incredibly intense," Edward whispered from the entrance, forcing my eyes to snap open and look that direction.

"How long have you been here?"

"Since 'fucking spank me,'" he choked, his voice cracking slightly as he answered. "Bella, you're . . . you're fucking beautiful." His fingers latched onto the top of the door frame as his head delicately tilted towards his bicep and that look smeared across his face. _That look. _The one that meant I was in for the romp of my life. The fire behind his eyes matched my own, and I knew tonight was probably going to be longer than the last. I gave him a silly smile and rolled to my side, inhaling sweet perfume eau Edward from the pillows.

I slowly blinked my eyes and smiled. It was the first time that he complimented me, and I actually felt like he meant it. "So are you," I breathlessly replied. My chest was still rising and falling rapidly from my climax.

He gave me a genuine grin, dropped his arms to his sides and took a few steps in my direction. I pushed the toys and my cellphone to the back of the bed in order to make room for him as I lightly patted the mattress, beckoning him to me.

Edward stopped next to the bed and flicked on the bedside lamp. I blinked a few times to adjust to the sudden blindness and looked up to him inquisitively. "Why must there be light?" I groaned.

"Look at that. You didn't even use the interesting ones," he whispered, kneeling down to rest his elbows on the edge.

"The interesting ones are the ones I've never used."

His face tightened with surprise. "Really?" He rolled the anal plug between his hand and the mattress as he eyed me playfully.

I looked from him to the plug and back to him again. He was curious to say the least. I raised an eyebrow and shook my head at him. "Only if it's your ass it's going in."

He started laughing through his nose and dropped his head in defeat. "Touche, Ms. Swan. Touche. Though one day you may ask me for it, but I can wait until then."

My eyelids were growing heavy, setting off the reality of the situation. In the past forty eight hours, I'd only slept for three. I should be exhausted, yet the adrenaline coursing through my veins was enough to make me jittery. My legs twitched, my heart pumped; I wouldn't be hitting the hay anytime soon.

I felt Edward crawl into bed next to me, causing my eyes to snap open and look his direction. He slid himself under the duvet and gestured for me to do the same. I inched closer to him, bringing my lips only millimeters from his as I tucked my feet under the blanket. Edward rolled on his side and wrapped me into his chest, giving me a few tender kisses on the top of my head.

I returned the favor to the tender skin of his chest, small pecks that graduated into gentle nibbles. I ghosted my fingers down the side of his stomach and back up again. Realizing that I was giving him goosebumps, I giggled and looked up to him. "Am I tickling you?"

"A little," he replied, running his hands over my hair.

"What did you do with my chest?"

"Left it in Atlantis. Don't worry. I can go back and get it later," he joked, giving me a cute, little wink.

As my fingers traveled down his stomach this time, I dipped a little lower and wrapped my fingers around his hardened cock. His lips curled into a smile as his fingers traced the outline of my face to bring my chin closer to him. His lips planted on mine while he rolled me on my back and pried himself in between my legs with his knees. I ran my fingers over his back to pull his shirt off and, as I yanked it over his head, he hurried to push his constricting jeans down to his ankles.

Successfully declothed, Edward returned his attention to me, his gaze meeting mine.

_God, those eyes._

Piercing, brutal, intoxicating.

I could lose myself in them, in all their beauty. His were particularly expressive, instantly giving away just what was going on in that brilliant, fucked up head. At the moment, they were striking and reminded me of the way he watched me walk. He seemed enamored, overwhelmed with desire.

Without another word uttered, he had rolled the condom on his enlarged dick and was teasing at the opening between my legs, slowly rubbing the tip of his cock around my tender folds. "Fuck, Bella," he moaned as he inched inside of me at a tortuously slow pace. I wanted him, all of him, inside of me, close to me. After the insane concoctions of my mind, I needed to feel the real thing.

I longed for his touch, his smell, his taste. It all added to the way I felt about him. It was like gasoline to the never ending forbidden fire that burned deep in the pit of my heart. Inching my calves up the back of his thighs, I slowly pulled his pelvis closer to me, forcing him deeper inside of me. I arched into him, moaning and clawing at his shoulders.

I'd waited all day for this moment, this intense feeling of being complete. As his hand trailed over my hips and he rocked harder into me, shock wave after shock wave of sinful bliss shot throughout my body. I was writhing, my heart damn near pounding out of my chest.

Wrapping my arms around Edward's neck, I met his eyes once more and what I found there damn near sent me into overdrive.

Endearment, tenderness . . . adoration.

He lowered his gaze and pressed his forehead to mine, his hands finding their way to my breasts. He playfully pulled at my nipple and, shooting me a grin, lowered his hand to my clit. Gently circling the pink flesh with his thumb, he plunged deeper, angling his hips upward to hit my G-spot.

He pulled his head back and slowed his pace, staring intently into my eyes.

Right then, there was moment between us. It was moment of vulnerability, of shared emotion, of shared weakness. Time seemed to slow down, everything in the boat disappeared. It was him and I, and this link to one another that we both felt.

I knew right in this moment that I really had met my match. That we shared a connection that rivaled great romances. Cleopatra and Antony, Romeo and Juliet, Bonnie and Clyde, they had nothing on us. We were ill fated from the start, probably more so than any of them. We both knew that our story would probably end in similar fashion, going down swinging. But at least we'd go down together.

Whatever this connection, this spiritual movement I felt towards him, his eyes resonated the same perplexity back at me.

"Bella, I . . . "

I brought my lips to his before anything else could be said. Either he was thinking the same thing, and he was going to ruin the moment by talking about it. Or he wasn't thinking anything close, and he was going to ruin the moment by talking about it. It was best neither of us said anything.

I twisted my fingers in his soft, bronze locks and pulled his face away from mine. "I want you to fuck me, Edward," I whispered, shooting him a look that suggested he cease talking about what just happened. He raised an eyebrow and grabbed onto my hips, flipping me over and grabbing the pillows to shove under me for support.

He chillingly ran his fingers up my spine and latched on to my hips. Pressing down the slightest bit, Edward entered me again, the tip of his perfect cock rubbing against my G-spot with precision. I stretched my arms above my head and gripped at the sheets, anything to hold my grip on reality.

So many fantasies about this man, so much time spent thinking about him, and nothing compared to the real thing. The way he smelled, the feel of his fingers digging into my skin, the way he fit me like a damn puzzle piece. It was remarkable.

I couldn't contain myself any longer.

I reached behind me and clawed at the back of his thigh to bring him closer. "I'm about to come," I gasped.

As if that was a command, he instinctively pushed harder to bring me there. He wasn't playing games with me anymore. This round, regardless of what time it actually was, we were equals again.

My eyes clamped shut, my hands fisted around the sheets, and the walls inside of me locked down on him. I moaned, "Fuck, Edward," just as a wave of climax resonated throughout my body. I rocked with him, forcing him deeper inside, and as the friction of our bodies brought me over the edge, the spastic twitch of his cock inside me told me he had reached his own orgasm as well.

He collapsed on top of me, fingers still latched around my hips, and brought his lips to my ears. "I meant what I said earlier too. Together, we are out of this fucking world."

I laughed as he rolled off me and disposed of the condom in the waste basket next to the bed. "I didn't think you were fucking with me." I paused then to consider how to best put the next statement. After a few heavy breaths, I turned my head to him and whispered, "I admit it, okay? We are on a completely different level than anything I've ever experienced. I can't stop."

Edward flashed a huge, genuine smile and leaned into plant a sweet, perfect kiss right on my lips. I returned gentle peck but felt my body revolting against me once again. Now, I was exhausted.

My eyes flitted shut and my arm draped over him as unconsciousness pulled me under.

I wasn't sure how long I had been asleep or what made me wake up, but somewhere in the middle of the night, my eyes reopened to find no one lying next to me. I was face down, cuddling against a sweaty pillow. I looked over to the side of the bed, where Edward was sitting on a chair across the room. His eyes shifted from me to his lap, and then back to me again.

My mouth warmed into a smile at the fact that he had not left me here alone. "What are you doing?" I whispered, my voice raspy from having been asleep for so long.

"I didn't realize you were awake," he replied, shutting a black notebook and putting it on the table next to him before standing to walk back to the bed. He crawled in next to me, wrapping me in his arms and giving me a kiss on the forehead. "Go back to sleep, love. You need to rest."

No sooner had the words been said than I felt myself give way to my subconscious once more.

The next morning, I awoke to Edward's warm hands shaking my shoulder. "Bella," he whispered.

"What?" I hissed, rubbing the hair out of my face and looking up to him.

"It's 7:30. You have to get up." Edward gave me a kiss on the nose and rubbed his hand over my head. "I made you some coffee."

I instantly sprang out of bed. "7:30! Why did you let me sleep so long?"

"You just look so damn cute when you're off in dream land," he teased, giving me a smile.

I hopped over to my backpack, grabbed my toiletries and damn near sprinted to the bathroom. Twenty minutes later, freshly cleaned and shaven, I ran out of the bathroom and hustled to my backpack to change for today. I'd remembered to pack a white button down, a professional black vest, and a tight, business dress. I inched my stockings up my legs and connected them to pretty lace garter belts around my thighs. It was Thursday so I knew Edward wouldn't be able to take advantage of these sexy, little undergarments. But, at least I would have the confidence knowing that they were there. It would be like my dirty, little secret. And it would fuck with him all day.

Just as I was about to throw on my dress, Edward crept in through the door.

Standing in my stockings and stilettos, I looked over my shoulder at him and bit my lower lip.

_Yes, this is what I'm wearing to work._

_Yes, I plan to tease you all day._

_No, you can't break the arrangement._

His eyebrows perked as his lips twisted into a crooked grin. "Hmm . . . Friday is already too far away."

I sauntered toward him and threw my arms around his neck. "Will you come to me tonight?"

"As long as you can wait until midnight," he quipped, wrapping his hands around my waist and trailing them over my ass. He lifted me up by the back of the thighs causing my legs to instinctively wrap around him. I leaned in to press my lips against his while his hands traced up my sides, ultimately landing on my naked breasts. His warm fingers sent chills down my spine and goosebumps all over my skin.

As much sex as we had yesterday and I still couldn't get enough of him.

"Can you?" I whispered, pulling back from him to claw my fingers down his biceps.

"It'll be tough. But I think I can handle it." With one last kiss, he planted me on my feet again and turned to walk back into the kitchen.

Alone in the bedroom, I took this opportunity to scope out the place. I went to the desk, where I saw nothing but maps and oceanography charts. Running my eyes over the shelves revealed nothing as well. Merely sailing books and pictures of ocean landscapes. There was nothing that would give him away in this damn room. It was exactly how I expected the master suite to look.

My eyes landed on the table next to the chair where last night he had placed his black notebook. It was gone. He must have hidden it before he woke me.

What was he doing in that, I wonder?

Drafting some paperwork? Perhaps a novel?

_"Is Edward Cullen the next hopeful multi-millionaire author?_" I sarcastically thought to myself.

I didn't have time to dwell on it. I threw on the rest of my clothes, rushed to put some make up on in the mirror by the closet, and packed the rest of my things. After I was finished, I looked around for my sex toys.

All missing.

"Edward," I announcing, sauntering out of the bedroom to the kitchen.

He handed me a mug filled with coffee and gestured for the stairs to the back of the boat. "Where's my chest?" I casually asked as I took a few steps that direction.

"I already put it in your car," he responded, closely following behind me.

"Oh, okay. Thanks," I answered as I walked up the stairs to the upper deck. We crossed the bridge and I was finally able to get a look at the masterpieces surrounding _The Mississippi Queen._ To the left, a ginormous Yacht at least two times the size of Edward's, coined "_The Traveler._" On the right was a much smaller boat, smaller than either of it's neighbors. It was like the outrigger from my fantasies, only a little fancier. On the back of it was "_Atlantis,"_ written in beautiful amethyst.


	13. The Seventeeth Floor

**A/N: Much love to my awesome betas, Rose and Beth. You guys seriously rock! I love you both. Thank you for your honesty and your brilliant suggestions.**** Bella's corset was inspired by this: **http:/media(dot)photobucket(dot)com/image/corsets/RBankhead/2corsets(dot)png

Chapter 13

"The Seventeenth Floor"

Gas. Brake. Gas. Brake. Traffic in New York City is un-fucking-believable, no matter what time of day it is. But I guess that's what happens when eight million people cram together on a tiny ass island. Clutching to the steering wheel, I blasted my music to keep from thinking about yesterday.

_Atlantis, Traveler, Mississippi Queen.__  
__  
_Last night plagued me, and yet, I was thrilled to reminisce. As soon as we'd gotten to the parking lot this morning, Edward hopped into the back of a limo that was waiting for him and took off. After watching him pull away, I immediately checked my trunk for my chest, which was still intact with all my toys firmly in place.

"Atlantis, huh?" I smirked, glaring at the small boat harbored behind me.

Atlantis was supposedly this lost island of technology. It's people were so much more advanced than the rest of the world that God became disturbed by their power and cursed the island with its inhabitants to the depths of the ocean, never to rise again.

So Edward must have snuck onto the other boat last night . . . but why? Did he have cameras in the _Queen's_bedroom?

Chewing on my lip as I pondered the new mysteries brought on by last night, I shut the hood to the trunk and hopped in the car. There would be time to figure that out.

When I reached the office, I briefly waved to Alice and ducked behind my door, seeking a more permanent refuge.

I was hoping to avoid her, but my attempts were futile. Alice buzzed in my door a few minutes later.

"So? How did it go?" she chirped, plopping down in the chair across from me.

I sighed and smiled coyly. "Perfectly," I breathlessly whispered, assuming she meant my time with Edward.

"Really? So? What happened? Where does he live? Did you break in and look around?" she anxiously continued.

"Wait. I didn't find out where he lived. I went to his boat last night - and had a fabulous time, I might add."

"Oh." Alice blinked a few times in surprise and raised an eyebrow in my direction. "Well, I'm glad you had a good time, but don't forget what you told Rose yesterday."

"I won't," I replied slowly. "Did she call, by the way?"

"About your illegal investigation into your arch-nemesis-slash-fuck-buddy? No. It took the guy three weeks to get Jasper's, remember?" Alice chided in a mocking tone.

I nodded my head and swiveled my chair around to the windows, staring blankly at the curtains.

"Alice?"

"Yes, love?"

"Would you call maintenance and have them take these down?"

"Pardon me?" she smirked.

I turned back to her and brought my fingertips together under my chin. "Yeah, I don't think I need them anymore."

"What happened last night?"

"You don't want to know all the gory details . . . but I did find out who his room mate is, and get this, it's his assistant, Tanya. Supposedly, she's his cousin and needed a place to go after a breakup," I explained.

Alice crossed her arms and gave me a little smile. "Do you believe him?"

I paused, considering her question. A part of me wanted to think that he was being truthful. But he was a business man and lied for a living. "I don't know," I eventually whispered, shooting my gaze to hers.

"Right. Well, I was thinking about it last night and I'm not entirely sure you should listen to Rose. I know what I told you at lunch yesterday, but think about it, Bella. If you break it off, how awkward will the conventions be? Everytime you see him, everytime you're in the same room or have to sit next to each other on stage, the sexual tension will suffocate us all," Alice dramatically explained.

"Then again, if I'm still fucking him, I run the risk of everyone seeing right through any game we try to put on," I countered, shooting her a smile.

"You're screwed anyway you look at it."

"I agree. So I suppose I'll do nothing. Allow things to continue as they are. And just for your information, I plan on swinging by my complex at lunch to see where he lives. Care to join me in coaxing a twenty year old to do something that could potentially get him fired?"

"Of course. I'm always down for something potentially detrimental."

My head snapped up at this, shooting her an incredulous glare.

"Unless it involves you losing your job and damaging your reputation," she corrected, standing to lean over my desk. "You do realize that if you get caught, they'll have my ass as well?"

"Deny that you knew anything about it."

Alice started laughing at this point. "Like Jenks would believe me."

"I'll confirm it. He won't have any grounds to think you're lying."

Alice's mouth tightened. "Bella, you're risking too much."

"You just sat there and said I shouldn't end it with him."

"No, I only said that the conventions would be harder to get through, not that it wouldn't be the smarter idea."

"Can we just move on? I'm growing tired of your daily morning lectures. I can handle my own life, thank you."

"Great! Then, handle it," Alice chastised, "and stop bringing it to work with you."

"You just asked me -" I nodded my head but decided not to continue. She must be dealing with quite a bit on top of all my drama that she didn't really need. I smiled politely and looked up to her. "Did you call Vanderhausen?"

"Yes, accounts payable said they haven't done the money transfer because they were waiting to hear final approval from the big man. He still hasn't given the go ahead."

My jaw dropped. "Are you kidding me?"

"No. I called his office to confirm it and the receptionist said that he would call me back."

My eyebrows perked in confusion. Why would there be any hesitation on his end? He had signed all the preliminary paperwork, why back out now? "What's the number?"

Alice walked around my desk, pressed speaker on my phone and dialed it herself.

Fussing with a pen in between my fingers, I anxiously waited for someone to pick up. _"Mr. Vanderhausen's office.__ This is Stephanie, how I can help you?"__  
__  
_"This is Isabella Swan calling for Mr. Vanderhausen. It's urgent that I please speak with him."

_"I'm sorry, m'am.__ He's in a meeting, may I take a message for you?"__  
__  
_"Please have him call my office as soon as possible. Thank you."

I gave Alice a concerned look as I pressed the speaker button to end the call. "Well, that's fucking ridiculous!"

"I'll say," she snorted. "What do you think is going on?"

I bit my bottom lip and turned towards the curtains, taking a few steps towards them and pushing them apart. Edward was on the phone, squeezing a stress ball in his right hand while he lounged in his chair.

"Him. That's what is going on."

"You think he stole Vanderhausen?"

"It's the only logical explanation," I groaned, shaking my head as my hands firmly planted on my hips. I had started to pace, the anxiety of the situation completely overwhelming me.

"What are you going to do?"

"Vanderhausen has to face me sometime, the fat, bald fuck, and when he does, he'll have to tell me why he's bailing. Besides, Edward will tell me if Vanderhausen signs with Cullen Inc," I reasoned.

"And just what makes you think that he'll do that?" Alice snapped.

"I didn't lie to him about Dean," I explained, shaking my head at her.

"Exactly, Bella. You're not lying." She circled around my desk, gesturing to Edward with her hand as if pointing at him would make her point any more valid. "He is!"

"I'm not so sure. He's not really lying, per se. Just avoiding the truth, weaseling around it."

"Do not make excuses for him, Bella. He's not playing fair."

I considered her words for a second, perched over the back of my chair as the gravity of her statement took effect. She was right. He wasn't playing fair, so it was time I started playing by his rules. There was no more room for waiting.

"Are you ready for lunch?" I uttered, slowly looking up to her.

"Bella, it's nine forty five," she replied, glancing at her watch.

"So? We're caught up, right?"

"Yes, but -" she started to protest.

"And it's Thursday. No meetings today," I urged, grabbing my purse and walking around my desk.

"That's right, but -" Alice called behind me as I trudged to the door.

"Alice, come or stay. Either way, I'm going to lunch," I declared as we walked down the hallway to the elevators. I pushed the down button and turned to face her as she shook her head, crossing her arms at me in a typical Alice-in-a-frenzy fashion. "We know he's here, so it's not like we're going to get caught. We'll bribe the kid for the room number and be back before noon," I antagonized, patting the top of her head to add insult to injury. "I need the leverage, Alice."

She took a deep breath and narrowed her piercing eyes. "And what will happen when you get his background check from Rose? What sort of leverage will that bring?"

"Lord only knows," I teased, giving her a quick chuckle before walking into the elevator, sticking my hand in the door to keep it from closing. "You coming?

Alice looked between me and her office as if unsure about what to do. Ultimately she groaned, "If we get arrested, you're paying my bail money," and bounded into the elevator next to me.

Giggling, I threw my arm around her and rested my head on her shoulder, nuzzling against her neck a little. "You're the best, Als."

"Yeah, yeah," she replied sarcastically, patting my head a few times before shaking me off. The doors opened for the lobby, propelling us through the grandiose space and out to the street. Deciding it would be less conspicuous, Alice and I hopped into the first cab we saw. No one needed to know where we were going or what what we were doing, least of all Edward Cullen.

I drummed my fingers on my knees as we silently traveled the distance to my complex. Five minutes into our ride, Alice turned my direction and crossed her arms menacingly. She was gearing up for an onslaught.

"Just what do you plan to say to this kid?" she hissed, shooting me a critical stare.

"I'm hoping he'll take my one hundred dollar bribe and just tell me the room number," I answered casually and honestly.

"Sure, go ahead and add another five years to your prison sentence. Are you planning on breaking into his loft as well? Might as well make it ten to fifteen!"

I laughed at Alice's dry humor, she was so funny when she got irritated like this. I knew that the motherly adult in Alice was yelling at her for coming along, and yet inside, the juvenile delinquent couldn't resist the temptation. As much as she wanted to be mad at me for dragging her into this, she loved it. These two sides of her were constantly at odds with one another, the way my sensible side and wild side often clashed. She had gotten better control of it than I had, the lucky bitch.

Alice chuckled a few times, shaking her head at her hypocrisy. "I'm sorry. These prenatal hormones suck, okay?"

"I'm not planning on breaking into his loft. Just knowing is enough for now."

"Good, at least you're being as mature as you can be about the situation," Alice goaded, prodding the intensity of the situation just a little further into my churning gut.

"Do we still have those snake cameras in the archives? You know, the ones that slide under doors and shit?"

"Bella!" Alice snapped, smacking me playfully on my upper arm.

"What? I'm just curious," I protested, cowering away from her.

"I'll have them all destroyed tomorrow morning. Consider them gone!" she joked.

"Seriously, Alice! What would be the harm in shoving a camera lens under his door?"

"It's against the law? Not to mention his privacy," Alice retorted.

"Sure, take his side. May I remind you that what we're about to do is against the law . . . and his privacy? Might as well find out what's inside."

Alice smiled and shook her head a few times, bringing her fingers to her lips.

"Besides, he practically breaks into my loft every night," I added, waving my hands in the air to accentuate my argument.

"I don't think his forced entry is entirely unwanted," Alice quipped.

I started laughing and smacked her arm. What a quick little mind she has.

As we pulled up to my complex, I paid the cab driver and hopped out of the yellow Ford Taurus. My stomach fluttered with nerves at what I was about to do. I was immediately followed by Alice, who stretched and started walking toward the spinning doors, gesturing for me to follow behind her. Once inside the lobby, I scoped the place for the blond kid who had taken a liking to me over the years he'd worked here. At the counter to my right, I spotted him helping an elderly gentleman.

I tugged on Alice's shirt and nodded that direction, taking a few steps before shooting her a wink.

"Mr. Clearwater, the letter is not here. No one left it with me, sir. I promise," Mike pleaded with the guy standing at the counter in front of me.

"Check again!" the disgruntled man shouted. "It's a letter from my Leah."

"Sir, I swear. There is no letter here, you should check your mail." With that, Mike's eyes lifted to mine causing a giant grin to smear across his face. "Why don't you go do that, and if it's not there, we'll call the post office."

Mr. Clearwater grumbled something and wobbled the direction of the post boxes.

I returned Mike's smile, taking a few steps closer to lean against the ledge in front of him.

"Yes, Ms. Swan. What can I help you with today?"

"How are you doing, Mike?" I asked in my sweetest tone possible.

"I'm hanging in there. Why? What's up?" he nervously answered as Alice walked to my left and placed her elbows on the counter to lean his direction. How we must have appeared to him, like lioness' about to pounce on unsuspecting prey.

"No reason, just curious," I casually replied.

"Actually, if you really want to know, my boss has been making me work tons of overtime. The bastard. I'm really exhausted and haven't had much time to do my school work, which is affecting my grades. And my teachers say -"

I could tell he was about to go on a rant, and I didn't really have time to stand here and listen to it. "Actually Mike," I interjected, cutting him off completely. "There is a reason I came over here. I need your help."

"Oh, really? _You_ need _my _help? What? Did you get a dog that you need me to take out every three hours or something?"

"Um . . . No, actually. I need you to look in your computer and tell me where someone lives. I know they have a place in this building, I just need to know where," I explained, drumming my fingers on the desk.

He was rather taken back by my haste, and furrowed his eyes in confusion. "Ms. Swan, I'm sorry . . . I can't do that."

"I know you can. Please. I need you to do this," I pleaded.

He perked his eyebrows in response. "I could get fired for this. No way!"

"You just said you didn't like your boss. C'mon. Be a rebel," I urged.

"Ms. Swan, I can't," he persisted, shaking his head furiously in response.

"Alright, what's it gonna take? A hundred bucks?"

Mike's eyes squinted in disbelief. "Are you trying to bribe me?"

I took a deep breath and sighed with dramatic disappointment. "I'm sorry. You probably don't need the money anyway, what with all the extra hours you've been working -"

After a few seconds of deliberation, he pursed his lips and looked around inconspicuously. "Okay, two hundred and if you get caught, you don't know me."

I nodded my head and handed him the crumpled bills.

"Alright, who is it?" he whispered, shifting his gaze to his computer screen.

"Edward Cullen."

Mike nervously looked back to me. "Are you freaking kidding me? He'll have me murdered if he finds out that I told someone where he lives."

"No, he won't," I rebutted.

"Why do you want to know where he lives so bad? Aren't you dating him or something?"

"That's none of your business," I quickly hissed.

"Nor is his residence, especially if he doesn't want you to know," Mike instantly responded. He nervously looked between Alice and I and awkwardly continued. "Are you stalking him, Ms. Swan?"

Alright, I'd had enough of this kid. "Do you want the two hundred dollars or not?"

Mike shook his head my direction. "I don't need it that bad. It'd be real stupid to get killed for two hundred dollars."

"You were serious about the murder thing, weren't you?" Alice blurted.

"The Cullens are the most powerful family in this city, probably the entire country. I've got dreams you know," Mike explained, shrugging and nodding his head casually. "Who knows what he would do?" Mike looked between Alice and I, sighing a little and shaking his head with frustration. "I hear he likes to hang out in the sky walk, alright? Painting the skyline or watching the cars go by or something. Was there anything else I could help you with? I've got some work to finish."

"The Sky Walk?" I asked, my eyes furrowing in confusion.

"Yeah. You know . . . the giant walkway on floor seventeen connecting this part of the complex with the MacGruder building across the street?" Mike explained. "Which you two obviously overlooked."

Alice and I still looked confused.

"Go outside, and look up," he joked, pointing toward the door with one hand and handing the money back to me with the other. "I'm sorry I couldn't be more help. I've got to get back to work," Mike pompously concluded.

I pursed my lips and whispered, "thank you," before turning to Alice who smiled and shook her head condescendingly. "What?" I hissed.

"Well that was pointless," Alice snorted.

"You're telling me," I replied, taking a few steps toward the middle of the lobby. "Want to go check out the sky walk, since we're already here?"

A nod from Alice and a short elevator ride later, we found ourselves wandering around the small space that was floor seventeen. While the other levels had eight lofts to a floor, this particular one had only two, which meant that each space was four times the size of mine. Around the corner at the end of the hallway, the wall opened up to a glass enclosed bridge with carpeted floors. As I took a few steps out over the street, I immediately realized why Edward was fond of hanging out up here. The view was amazing. Millions of people danced about like ants below my feet while the cars scattered like roaches on the city roads.

"Oh my god," Alice suddenly exclaimed.

I jumped and turned to face her. "What?"

"Bella. Isn't that your loft right there?" Alice hissed, pressing her forefinger to the glass window.

My eyes darted that direction, only to have dread overwhelm me. It _was _my loft, and my curtains hung wide open.

I could make out my couch and part of my coffee table, but that was it. Unless someone was looking for it, it would hard to recognize anything. It seemed good to know that even though a passer by could potentially lurk into my personal space, it was at an odd angle and difficult to see with clarity.

Unless . . .

Unless one owned a telescope.

"Yeah it is," I murmured, almost stunned with my revelation. Edward liked to hang out here . . . and there was a crystal clear view into my loft.

I was struggling with some sort of response, any kind of reaction, only to find that I had none. I wasn't entirely shocked, I had always sort of seen this coming. And I wasn't really pissed. To be honest, if the eyes were his, it only turned me on.

Alice turned to me with a curious expression on her face, anticipating more of an answer.

"I suppose I'll need to keep my curtains closed for the time being, huh?" I joked, grabbing at her shirt to pull her back toward my building. It was getting late and we should be getting back to the office. Besides, I didn't want her rapid fire mind putting two and two together and realizing that four possibly equaled Edward standing in the sky walk with his pants around his ankles -

Neither of us said a word as we made our way back to the lobby, passing Mike without a second glance and deciding that this was the last time I ever flirted with him. Stupid boy! Why couldn't he just do what I wanted? No wonder I never saw him with a girl. He didn't listen incredibly well.

Laughing at my insane rambling, I climbed into the back of a cab, followed by Alice who shook her head whenever we met eyes. She was still in shock, unsure of what to say to me.

"No words are needed, love. I'll get it out of him tonight," I whispered. "Fate, apparently, wants it done in an honorable fashion. Else she'd have given Mike a weaker will."

Once arriving back at the office, we were ushered into a meeting on the tenth floor. Human resources had called an "emergency confidential information" session, thinking that someone had hacked into our company mainframe a few nights ago. They wanted to make sure that everyone remembered the extra security measures put into place and reiterated the necessity of such things.

"Remember the protocol. Always delete your password and reset it every two weeks, always delete your cookies, and never access the database from a network," Rebecca, the HR director demanded.

Two hours of her rambling later, I finally found myself in the confines of my office, taking exactly ten steps into the door before losing the will to resist peeping any longer. I nervously shifted my gaze to his office, watching as he casually paced the length, his sleeves rolled to his elbows and arms crossed over his chest. Tanya stood by the door, hands folded in front of her and a grimace upon her face, staring at him as if he had just told her that he killed her puppy. His incredibly tense figure turned toward her, uncrossed his arms and swung them behind his back as she took a step his direction, appeared to scream at him for a few minutes and then stormed out.

I slowly moved to my window, placing my unsteady palm on the cold glass in attempts to reach out to him. He turned my direction and frowned before realizing I was staring at him. As his gentle green eyes met mine, they softened, allowing one side of his mouth to perk in smile. His beautiful bronze head falling to the side with a casual shake, he turned for his desk, plopped in the chair and adjusted his attention to his computer. Blinking my eyes in confusion, I turned to my desk and decided to get back to work. Whatever that was, it didn't look like it ended well.

For the next few hours, I managed to focus my attention on the TTA. Each city had it's own specialty so there were many different presentations to write and activities to plan. Not only that, but I needed to make sure the itineraries were correct. It would be a shame for all of the astrological equipment to end up in Boston, where the focus was automotive advances.

To say I was nervous about those two weeks would be an understatement. The pressure I would feel from the investors would only be rivaled by the pressure I would feel from him. My eyes closed as visions of walking on a stage haunted me.  
_  
__I casually passed his table and took notice of his black tuxedo, the way it hung off his shoulders tempting me and his tie demanding that I wrap my hands around it and pull his face to mine in a frenzy.__ As I took a few more unsteady steps toward the bright lights of my presentation, his eyes fell upon me with that look, shaking me to the core and exhilarating me at the same time.__ I didn't know whether I would be forced to vomit or fuck him, each was equally possible in that moment._

My eyes snapped open. I was still sitting in my office, my computer screen flashing for me to continue typing.

"Bella?" Alice asked, taking a few steps through my door frame.

I jumped at her sudden presence, smiling as my eyes darted to hers. "Yes?"

"It's six thirty. I'm gonna take off. I think we're ready for tomorrow, wouldn't you say?"

Surprised, I glanced to my cellphone. Six thirty indeed. Nodding, I gave her a gentle smile as she turned to leave for the evening.

Bringing my attention back to my computer, I read over my addition to the presentation. "_I casually passed his table . . . "__  
__  
__Great!__  
__  
__Now I'm writing my fuck-dreams down absentmindedly.__  
__  
_I deleted the section from my paragraph and got back to work. Anytime he threatened to re-enter my thoughts, I shook him from my mind, remembering that Edward Cullen had no place there until midnight. As soon as I thought this, I realized it's hypocrisy. While I told myself not to think about him, I had spent my entire day brooding about that exact topic. The closer he got, the more I thought about him. Rose was right. I was addicted.

And I wasn't sure whether I should be scared or excited. To be honest, it was an equal mixture of both.

It wasn't much after nine when I finally decided to head home. The Sky walk had given me an idea and I needed time to prepare. Turning off my light and computer screen, I took one more glance Edward Cullen's direction. He had already left, and from the looks of it, a long time ago. Sighing, I grabbed my purse and rose, walking across my office to the door.

The trip home was filled with visions of tonight.

_The way he'll push me against the glass wall -__  
__  
__The feel of his slacks on my calves as I slowly drag them up the back of his legs -__  
__  
__How his face will look when he sees whats under the trench coat -_

As soon as I arrived at my complex, I rushed to my loft and hastily unlocked the door before racing to my bedroom to strip out of my clothes as quickly as my fingers would allow. Tossing everything into the hamper and kicking my shoes into my closet, I hopped in the shower immediately. If I was going to do anything with this brown mess I called hair, it would require curlers and tons of hairspray.

Fully cleansed and hair prepared, I raced to my closet in search of the Christmas gift I'd bought myself a few years ago: a black corset with red lace lining the top and a tiny skirt at the bottom. Grabbing it and my red shoes from the _Maxim_debut, I stalked to my dresser in search of underwear.

On second thought.

"No underwear," I whispered out loud, smiling deviously. Stockings and garter belts in place, I wrapped the corset over my torso and reached for the beige trench coat that hung right above my knees before fixing my makeup with dark, sultry tones.

One last look in the mirror told me he was in for the tease of his life.

He wanted control . . .  
_  
__HA!__  
__  
__Control this, Cullen!_

With my hair in soft ringlets around my shoulders and my lips almost as red as my shoes, I gave myself a wink and turned for the door. I made sure to leave a note for him, just in case I managed to miss him somehow. I almost couldn't believe I was actually doing this_.__  
_  
Sauntering down the hallway towards the stairwell opposite the elevators, I took a deep breath and forced my feet forward. This was, by far, the most outlandish thing I'd ever done, and the fact that I'd be doing it with him was even more intoxicating. Pushing the door open, I gracefully made my way up two flights of stairs, my fingers gently sweeping over the metal railing to hold myself upright. The shaking in my knees was enough to send me toppling backwards at any second. Once I'd made it to the doorway he had disappeared through only a few days ago, tingling hands pushed the metal lock open before wobbly knees carried me to the Sky Walk.

While this plan was sexually enticing, it also lived to serve another purpose. If he lived in the MacGruder building, I'd see him coming through here to get to my place. If he lived in my building and managed to usurp me, he'd see my note at my door and meet me here. Either way, once in the sky walk, the closest bed would be his, assuming his place actually was on this floor.

Leaning against the metal railing that ran the length of the glass enclosed bridge, my mind ran over the mystery of this man. I knew that he lived in my building, some where on this floor, and Mike said that he liked to hang out here, where one could easily see into my loft. Perhaps this explained his knowing damn near everything about me.

To top it off, he kept things from me. Where I was an open book, often wearing my heart on my sleeve, he was tight bound, shoving his skeletons deeper into the crammed closet of his mind, never to let them see the light of day.

He frustrated me, infuriated me, yet, intrigued me.

Perhaps the mystery was all part of the game.

Keep me always wanting more, but never fully satisfied.  
_  
__I'd be satisfied tonight, damn it. _

It couldn't go on any longer. My curiosity was eating away at me.

Before I could think any more about it, I heard the click of a door down the hallway followed by heavy footsteps coming my direction. My heart rate quickened at the thought that it might be him. A shot of adrenaline to my extremities was followed by the natural reaction to look up. As he turned the corner at the end of the MacGruder building, our eyes met and he stopped moving completely.

With his white button down untucked from his tailored black dress pants, he looked completely fuckable, and yet, entirely taken off guard.

_Gotcha!_

His briefcase in one hand, he stuck the other in his pocket and casually took a few steps toward me, his eyes never leaving mine. His lips curling into that sexy little grin, he closed the distance between us and whispered, "Ms. Swan."

"Mr. Cullen," I replied, my voice shaky with anxiety. I felt an undeniable urge to forget my entire plan and beg him to strip the trench coat off my quivering body. It was amazing how all my determination was brutally ripped away from me whenever he entered a room.

Piercing eyes assaulted me from head to toe as he circled around me before placing the briefcase on the ground next to us. "Interesting attire for the middle of August. Are you expecting a storm?" he jested with a raise of an eyebrow and a tilt of his head.

"So to speak," I whispered, fully turning around to lean my lower back against the cool metal railing.

Edward nodded, running his fingers through his hair and laughing anxiously. "I thought we were supposed to meet at your place."

"We were. I had something else in mind," I replied casually with a wink.

"So I see," he whispered through his teeth.

I raised an eyebrow and turned back toward the window, resting my elbows upon the railing and adjusting my gaze to his reflection in the window. "I heard you like to hang out up here . . . you know, watch the cars go by."

"Is that why you came up here?"

I looked over my shoulder at him and noted how his eyes were intently set on the red heels.

Repressing a giggle, I licked my lips and hissed, "Why do you think I'm up here, Edward?"

He took another step closer to me. "I take it you had a conversation with a certain blond attendant. Either that, or you pulled a background check on me," he whispered, wrapping his arms around my waist to grip the railing directly below my belly button. The warmth from his chest radiating against my back, I stood upright as he pressed his pelvis against my ass. He was already hard, and that fact sent a force of energy to my clit.

"And if it was both?" I slowly answered.

His lips curled into a devious smile and pressed against my right ear. "I'd say smart girl," he teased.

_Fuck!__ This man had a wicked tongue._

I let out a moan as the magnetic chemistry between us erupted, leaving me reeling in my suddenly confining trench coat. His fingers quickly turned from the railing to the over sized belt around my waist, firmly tugging at the delicate fabric to expose my corset and garter belts.

Our reflection in the glass sent shivers down my spine, directly to my clit, already throbbing from the mere sight of him. His eyes widened at my appearance as his hands lowered to the back of my thighs and traced across the flesh under my coat, trailing over my garter belt to the tender spot just below my ass. When he felt no underwear, he bit his bottom lip and the feral fire behind his eyes sparked to life.

Bringing his mouth centimeters from my right ear, he ran his hands up the length of my back and whispered, "Why did you come up here, Ms. Swan?"

The rapid beating of my heart was all I managed to hear. It thumped in my chest like a subwoofer, adding a certain beat to our conversation.

His arm wrapped across my corset, pulling me closer to his chest and forcing his perfectly hard dick to rub between my butt cheeks. I took a deep breath to steady my anxious nerves and wrapped my hand behind my back, palming his cock under his pants. Tracing my thumb over the twitching tip caused him to gasp and push me closer to the rail, grinding it into my hips as his hands wrapped around my waist. "Why did you have to know so badly where I lived? Why did it matter so much?" he continued, the warmth of his breath sending shivers down the right side of my body.

In almost a moan, I managed to utter, "Why did you move in across the street from me?" Arousal completely taking me over, it was surprising I managed to get all of that out.

"Would it be enough to say it was a coincidence?" he whispered, slowly kissing the nape of my neck and trailing his lips to my jawline.

"That's rather unconvincing," I hissed.

With that, he flipped me around and pushed my shoulders against the glass wall, bringing his perfect lips inches from mine. The sudden haste of his movements left me reeling, gasping for air to fill my lungs while his hands pried my knees apart. "And what do you think now that you know the truth?" he whispered, our eyes meeting in an indescribable manner.

Vulnerability.

I'd never seen it before, especially not on him. He wasn't accustomed to letting people in.

It was then that I decided this wall wasn't one that could be taken apart brick by brick, this was a barrier that needed to be kicked down. Slowly wrapping my legs around his waist, I pulled his pelvis closer to mine and brought my hands to either side of his face. "Take me inside."

His face dropped. "Bella -"

"Take me inside . . . before I take you right here," I whispered, smiling and pushing myself off the rail to slide down to the floor. Within seconds, I was on my knees, unzipping his pants and taking exactly what I wanted from this man. His warm dick slid between my lips, hitting the back of my throat once I'd taken him fully. God, even this man's penis tasted perfect, and continued to everytime I wrapped my mouth around it. How is that even possible?

_Fuck it.__  
__  
_He was absolutely delicious, and that's all that seemed to matter at the moment.

"Fuck, Bella," he whimpered, grabbing onto the railing for support. My fingers dug into his hips, gently guiding the depth of his entry.

As his dick hardened to the point deeming sex necessary, I stood to meet his adoring gaze but continued to play with the tip of his cock between my fingers. He leaned in to kiss me passionately, violently pushing me against the glass and lifting one of my legs to his elbow as he ripped open a condom, rolled it on, and plunged inside of me. Not that I needed any preparation, I was wet since he rounded that corner and stopped dead in his tracks to stare at me. As the passion of the moment became overwhelming, my fingers dug into the fabric around his shoulders, pulling him closer as I scratched my nails down his arms and moaned into his chest. My nerves were going haywire causing a bundle of energy to brew in the pit of my stomach.

He had mentioned my being a natural voyeur before and I never took much of that to heart . . . until this moment.

My natural reaction to our sex was tripled by the fact that anyone could see us at any moment.

He pushed harder, stretching me to the maximum. It was as if he couldn't get enough of me, he needed to be completely inside of me. My lips ravaged his, nibbling with delicate ease as each thrust of his hips sent mine crashing against the glass. The thrill of sex up against a window mixed with the electric current that was forming between us and created an unexplainable desire inside of me. I now wanted to push him to the ground, climb on top of him and take every last inch of his exquisite cock that my body would allow. Every bone inside of me ached for it, I was ravenous.

But I knew that if I was this crazed, he was as well.

_Perfect._

"Wait . . . wait . . . stop," I moaned against his neck.

He slowly pulled out of me, concern smearing his face. "What's wrong?"

"I said take me inside, _before _I take you right here."

"I heard you, I just chose the second option," he joked followed flashing the grin that makes me weak in the knees.

There was a momentary flutter in my stomach before I regained my composure and continued. "It wasn't really an option," I whispered with a laugh as I rocked my hips against him, teasing the tip of his cock with my opening. "Perhaps my rabbits will finish me off tonight, then."

Running his warm fingers over the top of my breasts popping out of the corset, he casually nodded.

"Don't you want to rip that off me?" I teased, referring to the way his fingers dragged over the laced ribbon at the top of my corset.

He snorted a laugh and nodded his head. "In the worst way."

"C'mon, Cullen," I whispered, grabbing his cock between my legs. I gave it a gentle tug and licked his lips with the very tip of my tongue. "Show me those balls you use to talk to your clients. Sneak me in there."

"Bella, I really can't -"

At this, I wrapped an arm around his neck and slid his cock inside me again. "That's not what I hear . . . " Rocking my hips against him, I guided his entry slowly and tortuously. "I hear there's not much you can't do . . . right?" I teased, running my other hand under us to palm his balls. His mouth fell open as he collapsed into me a little. "Like bringing a girl to climax using nothing but a vibrator and your tongue. And then get up and walk away without even . . ." I paused to moan. God he felt so good inside of me. " . . .fucking her. Not many men are capable of that."

"Bella -" he whimpered, thrusting into me.

Taking his face in my hands, I gave him a small kiss and sensually demanded, "take me inside, Edward."

He tilted his head to the side and smiled, blinking as if in awe. "Finish what you've started here, then I'll take you inside."

"Don't fuck with me, love," I conceded, the littlest amount of anticipation in my voice.

"Bella," he started, continuing to thrust inside of me as we talked. "My dick damn near jumped off my body to run over here and fuck you the minute I rounded that corner and saw you standing here with _those_ shoes upon your perfect feet. _Those shoes_. You're the one fucking with me."

"Is it working?" I teased.

"You'll get in my loft tonight, if it makes you feel any better."

"Hmm . . ." I licked my lips and, placing one hand on each of his shoulders, pushing him away as I climbed off the rail. He stumbled backward, looking to me with the strangest mixture of lust and surprise in his eyes. Taking a few steps his direction, I pushed his shoulders down, indicating I wanted him on the floor. He sunk to his knees in front of me and gazed up with those brilliant emerald puppy dog eyes. "It does make me feel better," I purred as I straddled his waist and sank down to the floor, instantly rocking my hips into his.

I was enjoying this. It was like I was the cat and he, the house mouse. Instead of taking my prey swiftfully, I'd rather play with it, bat it back and forth, until it flopped limply about in my grasp.

Edward wrapped his arms around my waist and plunged inside of me again, completely ignoring my comment. This time it was frenzied, rushed. He was losing his patience.

_Good!_

_How does it feel?_

I didn't give into him and his need to speed things up. Gently rocking back and forth, I guided his entry at a steady pace. His forehead pressed against my shoulder as his strong fingers dug into the still tender skin on my ass.

Then, the most extraordinary thing happened. His gaze lifted to mine, he pulled me closer and his lips enveloped mine with a moan.

Edward was moaning, and that fact sent me into the upward thrust of a climatic tornado. The Sky Walk seemed to spin around us, my world had stopped, and time ceased to exist.

There was only Edward and I.

And this orgasm we were both about to brutally rip from the other. This experience definitely topped the list of best sex in the world, leaving me more weak in the knees than I'd ever felt before. Moaning, my eyes squinted shut and my nails sunk into any skin they could find as my orgasm erupted. His lips still pressed against mine, he loud out a low whimper and wrapped his arms tighter around my torso, obviously reaching his own release as well.

We gripped to each other as if letting go meant losing whatever it was that we had just experienced.

He laid back on the carpet, instantly causing me to collapse on his chest. I rested like that for what seemed like ages, listening to the steady beat of his heart echoing through his rib cage. Just as I was about to close my eyes and fall asleep right in the middle of the Sky Walk, Edward rubbed his warm hands over my back and looked down at me.

"You about ready for a tour?"

Lifting my head to meet his gaze, I gave him a sexy grin and nodded.


	14. Broke, Broken and Breaking

**A/N: Thanks for reading.  
**

**I've also provided a few "visual aids" this chapter as well.. Check out this website: http:/jmdoyle120(dot)angelfire(dot)com/Chapter14(dot)html**

**There was some confusion as to what a Sky Walk was, I've given you examples. There's also a layout of his studio as well as an example of his bed. As always, please enjoy!**

Chapter 14

"Broke, Broken and Breaking"

Guiding me down the Skywalk to the MacGruder building, he turned right at the end of the hall and approached the only door on this side of the floor. 1702. The perfect, silver numbers haunted me.

"You're lucky you picked tonight to surprise me. Tanya's visiting family," he explained, twisting the tiny key in the lock.

I rolled my eyes, smirking incredulously. "How convenient."

Straightening, he looked over his shoulder at me and smiled. "Don't get smart. I might have to spank you."

I pushed the door aside and stalked into his loft, giving him an evil little grin as my hand innocently swept across his cock in passing. As Edward flicked on the lights, my jaw dropped.

I was half expecting a state of the art, neo-modern spy sanctuary, complete with cameras, a thousand computers and an annoying side kick. What I got instead was the bachelor pad of the century. The space was completely open, spanning about a thousand square feet in a perfect rectangle. Immediately after walking in, I found myself overwhelmed by the granite counter tops that lined the kitchen off to the left and the stainless steel computer table that sat to the right. In front of the computer table was a sitting area with a few black leather couches and a glass table in between them, obviously his "entertaining" area. Behind that, on the far right wall, was a set of black french doors that were tastefully decorated with seemingly expensive navy blue drapes. Directly in the center of the space, opposite the kitchen to my left, was where he had set up his entertainment center. A giant tv stuck out of the wall above a desk full of cable boxes. Com-stat indeed. Tivo, Playstations one, two and three, Wii, and the old Nintendo were just a few of the recognizable technologies filling his shelves.

"Computer, TV, Kitchen, etc. It's not much, but it works," he explained, pointing to various areas throughout the space as he spun around to finally land on me.

I nodded my head as I casually looked around. "That's strange. I would have expected it to be much bigger," I blurted, instantly realizing its insinuating nature once the words left my lips. Immediately blushing, I laughed and looked to the ground innocently.

"Well, every man just loves to hear that," he teased, bringing his velvet tongue to the front of his teeth as he crossed his arms behind his waist.

Smiling, I pointed over my shoulder to the french doors. "What's in there?"

"The rest of the rabbit hole," he joked, taking a few steps backward to draw my attention to the enclosed space about five feet behind him. Sitting on a platform about two feet higher than the rest of the studio was what I assumed to be his bedroom. Tinted glass panels ran the length of the sectioned off area, and they appeared to rotate open and shut. It was like he had put this space in after the fact, perhaps during the renovation he had mentioned.

Edward tossed his briefcase on the kitchen counter to our right and began to stalk toward the platform, gently smiling at me as he climbed the step and walked inside.

Taking a few steps in that direction, I looked around in awe at the minimalistic furniture. I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting, but certainly not this. Black couches, mahogany floors, silver accents and blue undertones. That's it. Black, silver and blue. His place seemed . . . _colder_ . . . than mine. I decorated with bright yellows, oranges, blues, and purples to create a vibrant, friendly atmosphere. Edward's depressing color scheme left me feeling terribly uninvited, eloquent as it may be.

Regardless of what the space looked like, the most important question still remained unanswered. Why would he keep this from me? There were supposed to be secrets, damn it! There was supposed to be something I would discover that instantly put all the pieces together. But there was nothing, just expensive couches and stainless steel kitchen accessories. Where was the scandal? Where was he hiding his skeletons?

It didn't matter anymore. I was here, and as my gaze caught his, I remembered the frenzy I had worked myself into just a few minutes ago. Unsteady knees carried me up the step to his bedroom where I stopped dead in my tracks upon entry.

A closet to the left and a black dresser to my right, everything about his room seemed normal. Everything but his exceptionally unique bed which apparently was built into the floor. No exquisite frame or lavish work of art holding his mattress together; the floor simply gave way to a rectangular bed with a dark blue duvet positioned against the ceiling to floor windows, making the top of the king sized heaven level with the ground.

I raised my eyebrow at him as I bent over to take off my shoes and crawl onto the covers. Without missing a beat, he quickly leaned over and grabbed my wrist to stop me.

Shaking his head teasingly, he whispered, "No, keep those on."

I smiled, obviously knowing he'd want to fuck me with _these shoes _on, and nodded my head in agreement as I took off my coat and threw it to a chair by the door. Chewing on my lip nervously, I dropped to my knees and crawled into his bed.

_Oh. My. God._

This wasn't a bed. This was an oasis of down and velvet, making me instantly regret climbing in. I now never wanted to leave. Stretching my arms above my head, I sunk into the soft pillow top mattress.

"So this is my loft," he smirked, reiterating my words from our first night together. Chuckling, he took off his button down and tossed it to the floor before beginning on his pants.

"Nice place," I replied as I fell back on his bed, causing a puff of pure Edward to swirl up around me. While the aroma in the Mississippi Queen was strong, this was pungent. He wasn't lying this time. I'd finally gotten the truth. This was where he tried to sleep every night.

_Fuck, why does he always smells so damn good? _

Edward shut the glass panel in front of the steps before turning my direction and dropping to the ground as well. He crawled onto the bed, sliding my legs apart with longs strokes of his fingers from my hips to my heels. Starting at my ankles, he gently kissed the oversensitive skin, and worked his way toward my knee, nibbling the slightest bit on the inside of my leg.

"Wanna see something cool?" he whispered against my skin, looking up to me with a curious expression on his face. I nodded eagerly, running my fingers through the top of my hair as he rose to his knees and reached to the left side of the bed. Flipping up a piece of wood, he pressed a button and all of the blinds behind him shot to the ceiling, instantly casting us in the soft, yellow tones of the city at midnight.

Edward looked up at me and licked his lips, wrapping his index finger around the ribbon at the base of my corset to pull it undone at a tortuously slow pace. Shivering in anticipation, I arched into his touch, wanting more of it; needing more of it. The heat from his body fueled the fire burning inside of me. A fire that I now lived to feed.

My skin tingled as the fabric of the corset fell to either side of my torso, exposing my instantly hardened nipples to the crisp air of his loft. Leaving goosebumps in their wake, his fingers ghosted down the center of my chest causing my breathing to quicken in response. And when he leaned down to take my right nipple in his mouth, I damn near squealed from the contrast. The warmth of his velvet mouth against the cold air surrounding us surprised and aroused me even further. Every extremity that I had throbbed with my pulse, as if that alone was what was keeping my hold on reality.

A soft flick of his tongue against my flesh caused me to grip at the floor board next to my head while a small moan escaped my lips. I found myself writhing from the feeling of his soft skin on mine, a sinful desire for more coursing through my body. Edward ran his hands down either side of my ribs, eventually wrapping around my waist to slide me across the bed to the window. Incredibly talented fingers lifted my torso and pushed me against it, my back instantly curling from the cold glass. The inside of my thighs quivered in response as his tender lips made their way down my stomach to the skin under my belly button.

He licked his way down to the sensitive spot where my legs met my hips, giving my skin a gentle nibble in the most teasing of ways. My hands gripping at the sheets to either side of us, I rocked my pelvis into him, anticipating the feeling of his mouth wrapping around my clit any second. Instead, his finger plunged inside of me and his lips found their way to mine in one quick motion.

"You're quite the little vixen, Ms. Swan," he whispered, a trail of hot breath creeping down my chest in a such a tantalizing fashion that the faintest moan escaped my lips. "Show me how you thought this moment would go," he purred.

His demand took me guard.

"What do you mean?" I managed to whimper.

"You're in my bed for the first time. Seeing as your evening was so well thought out, I figured you had a plan for this part as well," he taunted, giving me one last little peck.

One side of my mouth curled into a devious smile, and I instantly understood what he meant. He was telling me to take control again.

_Uh oh.__  
_  
Somebody liked what they found on the Skywalk.

Typically, he just took me, however he wanted me, showing me things that he knew I'd like, whether I knew I liked them or not. This was so unlike him. Why would he just give me the upper hand?

Then, there was that face again. Vulnerable. Yearning. Honest.

As if, by being here, I had gained some sort of dominance over him, and, if only for tonight, he liked it that way.

Without answering him, I pushed him back on the bed and straddled his waist, pinning his hands above his head. "Stay just like this," I hissed. "And don't talk."

"I don't believe you've won any poker match to be making such demands."

"Then don't suggest things that you aren't really interested in taking part of," I replied with a wink. "Mr. Cullen, where perchance would one find a condom?"

He responded with a devious grin and a wink. "I was told not to speak."

"Are you giving me permission to poke about your loft?" I retorted.

"Start with the floorboards."

I raised an eyebrow and flipped up the panel closest to us.

Handcuffs, lube, remotes . . . Trojans.

Surprised with the contents of his bedside pocket stash, I shot him a smile and held the cuffs over him with my index finger.

"Perhaps another night, love," he suggested with a wink.

"Touche," I hummed contemplatively as I settled them back into their spot in the compartment.

Rolling on the condom and guiding him into me by the base of his cock, I relaxed on top of him and grabbed both of his wrists in my hands above his head. Everything about this moment was perfect. The way his hair smelled, the feel of his sheets against my shins, and his exquisite cock filling me completely for the second time tonight.

Of all the wonderful things about Edward, his ability to rebound was amazing. Most men fell asleep after sex, yet Edward looked at that as a warm up, round one. The real test here was how many times _I_ could go before I was exhausted. Although it'd been a long week, and sleep was tempting, the way the city lights danced off our skin was absolutely irresistible. I'm not sure my fingers could stay away from him if they tried. My nipples rubbed against his chest as I rocked against him, my hips angling to take all of him inside of me in one quick stroke.

Unable to resist the feel of his hands any longer, I let them go and ran my palms down his glistening chest, my nails dragging across his skin and pushing with tenderness at each thrust of his hips. He sat up and wrapped his arms around my back, seeming desperate for my affection. Our lips ravaged each other, the collision between our bodies growing even more turbulent.

My overactive mind ceased to relent, even if I was having the fuck of my life. I was getting too close to him, and as my hands fisted clumps of his beautiful hair between my fingers, I realized just how close I actually was. He had allowed me into his loft, his private space. More than that, I believed I was falling for him. Falling so damn hard that I might actually hit my head on something on my way down, knocking all logic and reason from my mind. It wasn't supposed to be like this. It wasn't supposed to be . . . everything I never knew I always wanted. An equal. A counterpart. A yin to my yang.

Just as I was exploding with emotion, Edward flipped me over, brought my right knee to his shoulder, and plunged inside of me once again. My head buried in his chest, I gripped to the back of his neck for support, each thrust threatening to cut my hold on reality. His lips pressed to my forehead as his hand crept between our sweaty, sex-entwined bodies towards my clit. Circling the sensitive skin a few times with his thumb had me clawing at his back for more, I was sure his skin was under my fingernails.

"Fuck Edward," I moaned against his chest, my teeth sinking into any skin they managed to find. My nails dragged down his arms as the height of my climax pulled me under, turning my attempts to breath into desperate gasps for life. Hands shaky and my heart pounding against my ribs, I rocked against him until I was too sensitive to take it any longer.

In the aftermath of my orgasm, I threw my head back against his soft, down pillows and ran my hands through my damp hair, gasping for air to fill my lungs. My legs were sore, my arms were shaky, but none of it seemed to matter. _That_ . . . was insanely intense.

His thrusting slowed to a more sensual pace as he leaned down and plant his lips at my ear. "You've marked me," he hissed, referring to the tiny, red lines below his collarbone.

My eyes met his in indescribable fashion. I wasn't entirely sure if it was surprise or fascination that I found there, possibly both. "Indeed I did," I answered with a smile. "Payback's a . . . " _Moan._ ". . . bitch."

"Hmm..." he purred, slowly pulling out of me and leaning down to my thumping chest. His perfect tongue inched it's way out of his mouth, only to tortuously drag down my neck, collar bone, chest. "It wouldn't be right if you left without one of your own," he hissed against my stomach, sending warm goosebumps across my flesh. His tongue circled my clit, sending chills up my spine, before dragging over to my inner thigh. "Do you know the best place to get a hickey?"

Before I could answer, his lips attached to my skin, sucking the blood in my veins to the surface. It was intense to say the least. Why people didn't ordinarily give hickeys there is beyond me. It was more sensual and more invigorating than any suckfest I'd received before. Just before it became too much to handle, Edward's hands reached up to my waist and flipped me over, pulling my ass closer to his pelvis. He angled my hips so that my shoulders and head rested on the bed, arms outstretched to either side.

As if sensing my need for him once more, he rocked into me and let out a soft, quiet moan as soon as our hips met. That little sound echoed through my very nature, invigorating my senses and sending me into a frenzied tail spin. My hips pushed against him anxiously, needing him as close as he possibly could be, as quick as that could happen. Of all the time we'd been together, I never needed him like I did in that moment. Moaning and writhing, my body demanded a faster pace, and, on cue, his thrusts came harder and deeper. Strong fingers dug down the center of my back, a moan escaped his lips and he leaned over me, sinking his teeth into the soft skin on my back.

I collapsed under his bite, curling my back away from him. Something about the pain mixed with the pure sin of our connection brought out a beast in me. I growled, literally growled, and pushed harder against him, relapsing into another wave of climax. As Edward's teeth dug deeper into my back, the violent twitch of his cock inside of me revealed he had reached his own orgasm as well.

Completely drained, he collapsed on top of me and slowly rolled to my side, his hand instinctively running through his thick, beautiful hair. After a few minutes of catching our breath and coming down from the dopamine high, I rolled closer to him and threw my arm over his stomach, nuzzling closer to his neck.

"So, I've got a question," I whispered casually. My fingers danced over his chest, adding a playful undertone to my request.

"Of course you do," he sarcastically responded.

It was time to be frank. He was freshly fucked and probably in one hell of a great mood. Why not just be honest? With this realization, I took a giant leap. "Why wouldn't you want me here? I mean, why did you make such a big deal about me not finding out about it, and only going to my place?"

He looked at me for a second or two, trying to decide if I was being serious or not. "Bella, you're the one making the big deal out of it. I didn't want you here because my family comes and goes from this place all the time. If anyone were to see us . . . " he trailed off, staring out the window at the base of the bed.

"I understand," I grumbled. I suppose if his family were constant dropping by, it would be hard to fuck here and keep our secret.

"And the fact still remains that Tanya can't get to her space without coming through my door," he continued, ghosting his left hand up my spine.

I almost couldn't resist. There were so many questions, it was damn near overflowing at this point. I rolled to my stomach and pushed up to my elbows, eyeing him suspiciously. "Edward, this is a one bedroom space. Why build an extra bedroom here?"

"There's more behind those french doors than a bedroom, I assure you," he teased, leaning up to kiss my forehead delicately.

I wasn't convinced. "Still doesn't explain why you would build this here, next to the window." I continued.

"Why is every architectural decision about my studio being brought into question?" he answered with a squint of his eyes.

"Why do you always avoid my questions by asking your own?" I joked, laughing casually as I planted a little peck on his chest and looked up to him with the best puppy dog eyes I could muster.

Edward shook his head and chuckled. "Because you never ask the right ones. Why don't you just say whatever it is that you want to ask instead of skirting around the issue?"

Odd... I thought I was being rather obvious. His wish was my command. I placed a gentle kiss on his collar bone and whispered, "Okay then, have you been watching me since you moved in?"

"See, now that was direct. I like it." And then he paused, as if searching for the best way to admit it. It didn't matter, anymore. Somehow, I already knew. He didn't need to actually confirm it. "What would you do if I told you I have?"

My face instantly lit into surprise. I was in awe, more shocked by his honesty than his being a peeping tom. Just then, the strangest sense of intrigue filled my body. Rather than being upset or agitated that every move I'd made in the last few months had been noticed, I was more interested in why.

Curiosity overwhelming me, I kicked off my shoes and placed them on the floor next to us before getting on all fours to crawl to the window at the base of the bed, casually spreading my legs out behind me and laying down on my stomach. Sure enough, there was a clear sight line into my bedroom, where the contents of today's hustle to get to the Skywalk were still thrown about aimlessly.

"My curtains are never shut, are they?" I whispered to myself.

No sooner had the words left my lips than I felt the heat of his body on top of mine. The sensation of his skin on my back was enough to make my heart rate erratic again, and if he didn't watch what he was doing, we'd be rolling around in these sheets again before daybreak. "Nope," he answered, slowly planting soft kisses on the base of my neck, his fingers wrapping around mine as I pulled them closer to my chest.

"Tell me why," I demanded. I was trying to keep my grip on reality, trying to accept that this was really happening.

"Because you're beautiful, Bella. Intelligent, funny, and absolutely alone. It's interesting. Why are you alone?"

"I've never found anybody worth my time, what little time there was for dating," I hissed, completely falling victim to his game, even though I knew that's all this was.

"Or nobody's tried hard enough," he quickly replied, nibbling on the bottom of my ear lobe.

"Why are you so interested in me?" I whimpered, my head relaxing against the soft mattress.

"Other than the fact that you're a beautiful foe? A solitary, delicious poisoned apple?" He paused then, as if anticipating some response. When I said nothing, he whispered, "You're an interesting person; you always have something to talk about," and teasingly kissed down the side of my neck. "Which only adds to the mystery. For such an outgoing, friendly person to be alone is simply blasphemous. Was it apathy or a rational decision?" Warm, gentle kisses trailed down my back, my hands still pinned under his at my chest.

"My career was more important," I managed to murmur. "How long have you been here? How long have you been watching me?"

Completely ignoring my question, he hissed, "That's bullshit," and instantly shot back to my spot by my ear. "You're scared, absolutely terrified. Who broke you?"

"What would make you think I was scared?" I uttered, slowly looking over my shoulder at him. The crisp air surrounding us swept across my back as he climbed off me and rolled to the side, leaning his head on his palm and balancing the weight of his head on his elbow.

"No one, Bella? Not one damn person in over three months," he explained.

With this, I rolled towards him and punched his shoulder playfully, but still hard enough to hurt.

_That fucking bastard. _

My rapid fire mind began to rationalize. I wasn't entirely angry, perhaps that was because my mind was all fucked up on vasotoxin or whatever the fuck. Was I really not upset about this? Was I really enjoying it? It was like my enemy's Prince Charming had been eyeing my tower for three months. Sinful due to the enemy part, but a Prince Charming none the less. Too bad Edward was anything from Prince Charming . . . more like Prince Fuckward - fucking people in more ways than one for eons.

Part of me wanted to be pissed, but the other part was thrilled. It was a bit exciting to think that this successful, beautiful man had taken such an interest in me, of all people. Not the red head in the floor above me, and not the cougar next to her. _Me._

Regardless, I couldn't let him off easy. Three months is a long fucking time to make me wait for him. Why didn't he get stuck in the elevator with me sooner? Why didn't he try to communicate with me the second he took notice?

_Oh right . . . That whole enemy thing . . . damn._

"Three months, Edward? What the fu-" I started to grumble.

He continued as if nothing had happened, that shit eating grin still smeared across his face. "Why weren't you even looking for sex? The most basic human desire? I never saw you at any bars or clubs. You didn't even go out. Were you just never planning that stage of your life, or did you think fate would eventually intervene? That's the real question here."

"Don't turn this on me. You've been watching me for twelve weeks. Unless there's a very good reason for that, we have ourselves a situation, Mr. Cullen. Why did you move in across the street from me? Do you have psychotic episodes? Should I be scared here?" I sternly replied. I was trying to be serious, but the more he talked, the more I wanted to hide my head in embarrassment. He was right. He had watched me for only a short period of time, yet knew more about me than any of my closest friends, probably more than myself.

"It's not like I was whacking off staring at you every night. And I don't _watch _you, Bella. I see you. Hell, you could probably even see me too if you took the time to look. Technically, love, you moved in across the street from me. Pure coincidence. This place has been in my family since the building was being designed. Jeffery MacGruder plays golf with my father on Sundays. They're very old friends."

_Of course they are.__  
_  
"I moved in three years ago. Does that mean you've known where I've lived for three years?" I quickly demanded.

"I was in Spain three years ago," he answered. "Look, Bella. This is part of the reason I didn't want to bring you here. Aside from all of the professional calamities that could occur, I knew you'd get all freaked out thinking I was the kid from _American Beauty."_

"So what were you doing while you were 'seeing' me?"

"Wondering why you went to bed alone every night."

"And now that you have your answer?"

"I wonder why you keep lying to yourself."

"Excuse me?"

"You said your career was the reason you hadn't gone out and seen anyone. That's a lie. As scared as you are about what this is, you don't trust it even more. You can't trust anyone."

"Trust? I don't trust this because I don't trust you."

His eyebrows furrowed slightly, as if I had hit him straight in the gut. "Why not?"

"Because you don't trust me. It took you two weeks to work up the balls to tell me where you lived, and another forty five minutes to admit you'd been watching me. And for some reason, you never sleep, which is ridiculous I might add. No one has ever made it past ten days without a REM cycle. Whenever something gets too personal, or you start to feel uncomfortable in a situation, you get up and walk away. Now you demand to know why I don't trust you? You've given me no reason to think that I can."

Edward nodded and pursed his lips before bringing his gaze back to mine. "But I did work up the balls to tell you."

I couldn't help but laugh. Yes . . you fucking prick . . . you did work up the balls to tell me.

_FRUSTRATING! _

Incredibly and irrevocably irritating. I could murder him.

Because he'd made me giggle, every ounce of steam I had in my argument fizzled away. Deciding to move on, I pursed my lips and nodded to the far wall. "What's behind the french doors?"

"The rest of the apartment. This is more of the guest living quarters," he continued.

"You live in the guest bedroom of your own loft?" I countered, my eyebrows raised in suspicion.

"Not because I can't live in there, just because I choose not too," he explained, running his hands through his hair and looking towards the window.

"Why not?"

Edward shook his head. "It's too big. I don't need that much space."

"Exactly how big are we talking here? Like fifteen hundred, twenty five hundred square feet?"

Smiling and tilting his head to the side slightly, he murmured, "Four thousand or so."

My eyes widened in shock. "Are you kidding me? Why would you pay for all of that, and not live in it?"

"Like it said, it's in the family," he reiterated. "I don't pay for any of it."

Shaking my head indifferently, I looked from the window to his emerald eyes, which, at the moment, analyzed every move I made. "You're incredibly frustrating, you know that?"

"How so?"

"You are absolutely the biggest freak I've ever met. And I mean that in every way it can be taken," I explained with a laugh. "You stalk me for three months, you read damn near everything I've ever written, you just show up in my lobby one night and go down on me in an elevator. And I come to find out, your family owns a spot in the building next to mine, both professionally and personally. It's kind of creepy, Edward, and a big part of me wants to run right now. But the bigger part is intrigued by you. You're like a puzzle, begging for me to put it together. No one I've ever been with makes me feel like you do. That's what scares me Edward. It isn't because I can't trust anyone, and it isn't because somebody broke me -"

"It's because nobody has yet," he finished, his eyes furrowing the slightest bit. And the walls just crumbled like a house of cards. "What happens when you put my puzzle together? What if you don't like the picture?"

I didn't answer, I wasn't really sure what he was trying to say. After a strange, uncomfortable silence, I adjusted my gaze to his. "Who broke you, Edward?" He casually smiled and leaned in to kiss me. Turning my head to the side, I denied him that simple pleasure. "I confess, you confess. That's how this works. You know why I'm alone. Why are you alone?"

As usual, he didn't answer.

"You're scared too," I continued, drawing myself the slightest bit closer to him. Our legs intertwined as I placed gentle little kisses on his jawline. "But not because you've _been_ broken. You're scared because you _have_ broken. You know what you're capable of doing to somebody." I eyed him incredulously, attempting to calculate how he would react to my next sentence. "How I must seem to you. Like a shiny new toy to secretly stash from your brother and cousin, so they never have to see you destroy it."

"And how do I seem to you? Like some forbidden fruit to tediously gnaw away until there's nothing left? Some creepy loser with a trust fund?"

"You seem like you're hiding something. You're vague, yet extremely expressive. You're eyes give you away," I explained. "As does your dick," I teased, grabbed a hold of it between our bodies.

He laughed, and curled into me a little. "Only to you," he sighed.

"What are you hiding, Edward? What's on your picture that I won't like?"

In true Edward fashion, he changed the subject. "Did you pull a background check on me?"

"What does it matter anymore? Just tell me," I pleaded. Having gotten so close, it would seem like torture to not get my answer now.

"I said that as a joke in the Skywalk, but you admitted it. Why would you do that, Bella?" he asked, giving me a little laugh.

"Don't tell me you haven't pulled mine." I raised an eyebrow at him and relaxed into the mattress, attempting to seem calm and collected though butterflies swelled my stomach.

His eyebrow raised in response. "You're birthday is in a few weeks. We'll be Las Vegas. Have you given any thought to what you'll want to do?"

"Have you pulled mine, Edward? Is that why you said smart girl? I'm starting to play by your rules, and you know it."

"You haven't done a single night in jail. What sort of adolescence is that?" he continued, as if in a conversation with himself at this point.

"You're unbelievable," I teased, smacking his chest. "How much more do you know about me?"

"What you majored in at Cornell, what your grades were, what professors you had, who your roommates were, your credit score is 714. Ouch, Bella. Pay your bills."

"Fuck you, okay? I just paid off a bunch of student loans," I retorted. "I can't believe you know all that. Why would you do that?"

"Like I said, I think you're incredibly interesting. And knowing that you've pulled mine makes pulling yours less sadistic, ya know?"

I pursed my lips and shook my head at him.

_Un-fucking-believable._

"Are you pissed?" he finally whispered.

"Not entirely. As I said before, intrigued. You know all my dirty secrets. Hell, you probably even know my life better than I do at this point. But not the other way around. I feel like I barely know you, the real you, not my rival, and not the public figure," I explained. I was planning to launch into a tangent and demand I know his secrets.

But before I could say anything else, the door to Edward's loft slammed shut. "Shit! Be quiet. I'll be right back," Edward hissed as he grabbed his pants from the floor and slid them over his legs. He threw on a tee shirt and walked to the glass panel to exit the bedroom.

My hands ran over my hair anxiously. I knew it would be Tanya, and I wasn't exactly sure what that meant. My thoughts went to the fight I'd witnessed earlier today. What did she know? What was she about to find out? What would she do when she learned what was going on?

_"Hey," _Edward whispered.

_"Hey. What's up?"_ the high pitched voice responded followed by keys being thrown on glass.

_"I thought you were staying at Kate's tonight," _Edward casually replied, leaning against the metal frame holding the panels in place.

_"She came home early. It took less time than expected. What are you doing here? I thought it was Friday night fucking the muse,"_ Tanya teased, the clicking of high heels slowly drawing closer.

Then, suddenly, the glass panel door slammed shut.

The muse? Did she mean me?

_"What do you mean she's here? You brought her here? Edward! What the fuck is wrong with you?" _Tanya quickly squealed in a hushed tone. Edwards heavy footsteps and Tanya's heels moved further away, their voices growing harder to hear.

_"She cornered me, Tanya. She's a fucking lioness, I couldn't help it. Now, get out of the studio," _Edward demanded.  
_  
__"What if Emmett comes over?" _Tanya retorted, obvious nervousness in her tone.  
_  
__"I'll deal with it. Go!" _Edward repeated.  
_  
__"And your__ father?" _she gasped._ " Oh Edward . . . get her out of here!" _Tanya's voice was growing more anxious by the second, what I could hear of it anyway. I knew I probably should be throwing on my clothes, preparing for a quick get away, but I seemed frozen. My nails dug into my knee caps, anxious for any more slip ups.

The muse, huh?

What the fuck does that mean?  
_  
__"We're leaving, okay? Now go!" _Edward urged.  
_  
__"You're not supposed to be fucking her. Edwa-"_

_"Tanya! I swear to God . . . shut up and get the fuck in there," _he hissed.

A brief silence, then the heavy clank of high heels across wood floors followed by sliding French doors. Edward seemed to hesitate for a second before slowly returning to the bedroom.

"Uh oh," I teased upon his arrival. "We got in trouble."

"She can piss off. No one would come over without calling first."

I nodded in agreement as he closed the glass panel and crawled back into bed. There was something different about him. The look on his face was damn near heart breaking. Something inside of him snapped when Tanya came home. Something she said to him completely turned him upside down. My smile slowly faded into concern. "Are you okay, Edward?"

"Yeah, it's just . . . she's right, you know? They're all right. We really shouldn't be doing this."

Taking a deep breath, I slowly nodded and curled into his warm chest, pressing my ear against his rib cage. Nothing more was said between us, not that there need be any more conversation. He was right about everything. The reason I was alone, the fact that I couldn't really trust anyone, and why it had been so long since I'd had sex.

I was scared to death that someone would hurt me like my parents hurt each other. I'm not sure I could handle that, to have someone so close just suddenly ripped away by their own choosing. Talk about rejection! How does one cope with that? I suppose time heals all wounds, even deep, gaping ones. But I'd never wanted to tempt it. Heartbreak seemed unbearable. I simply wouldn't allow someone to do that to me. If I didn't get close to anyone, it would never happen.

As if by lightening, the idea struck me that this could be the case with Edward. Perhaps he didn't want me close because he didn't want to hurt me . . . he didn't want to be the one to do it. This was supposed to be sex, simply a joining of the bodies. Our hearts and our minds were to stay the fuck out of it. Suffice to say, the brain controls the body. We were fucked from the beginning.

Subconsciousness pulled me under. Before I knew it, I was five years old hiding under my bed with my hands folded over my ears. Through my sobs, I could hear my parents yelling at each other downstairs. I'd accidentally dropped a plate on the ground, a plate my mother had given me to carry into the kitchen, a plate that my father would have carried had he answered her when she asked him to do it. Most importantly, this plate was their wedding platter and represented every last little bit of them that was young-and-in-love. Once I'd dropped it to the floor, their marriage seemed to shatter just as easily.

My mother yelled at my father about not listening to her, he yelled because she was yelling, it was a big mess. Who knows what makes parents fight like that? Who knows what makes people stay together longer than they should?

I suppose that things are different from the inside. From an observer standpoint, it's so easy to say "those two are destined for demise." But when you're one of the aforementioned "destined," the world spins so fast, one would think they were on a tilt-a-whirl. It'd be smart to jump off before one gets sick, but they'd break every damn bone in their body on the way down.

My eyes snapped open. I was still in Edward's room, the rays of light from a breaking dawn almost blinding me as they crept across my skin. I turned to my side and glanced up at his alarm. Four forty five. I went to get up but instantly realized that Edward's arm was still draped over me. Glancing over my shoulder, I looked down at a peacefully slumbering Mr. Cullen.

It was the first time I'd seen him unconscious, completely relaxed. His features softened the slightest bit as I sat up to fully take in this experience. I didn't know whether I wanted to take a picture or hug him. He looked so completely adorable, I could do either. Slowly pulling one side of my mouth into a smile, I climbed out of bed and grabbed his white button down from the floor, throwing it over my arms to stalk to the rest of the studio. My original intention was to find the bathroom, but as I gazed around the dimly lit open space, a shiny bauble caught my eye from behind his computer desk.

Lightly tip toeing across his wood floors, I made my way to that wall, intimately gazing at the picture frames surrounding said glass decoration. Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, and Edward at his graduation sat in a silver frame tilted towards one with Edward, Tanya and another blond holding a dimple-cheeked infant. What initially caught my attention was a more artistic black and white photo of Edward leaning over a rail and laughing at the photographer. Why he didn't become a model is beyond me. The man was simply gorgeous, especially in this one of him laughing. He looked radiant, a glow rarely cast on him.

Lifting the small glass ball from the shelf, I brought it closer to my eyes, focusing on the inscription in the middle.  
_  
__"They're just jealous because we're young and in love."_

My head tilted to the side. I recognized the lyric, but found it interesting as to why he would have something like this here. It seemed nostalgic, and it's place among the family photos only furthered that argument. I couldn't help but wonder who had given him this. An old girlfriend, perhaps? Maybe the mystery blond in the photo? Maybe the person who had captured his soul on the black and white picture?

I gently placed the bauble back on the shelf and turned towards the wall with the french doors. Four or five more shelves lined the gray plaster, each filled to capacity with books. My eyes flitted across the titles, only stopping to pick out the ones I'd read.

_Watership Down by Richard Adams__  
__Art of War__  
__Complete Works of Robert Frost__  
__The Complete Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice_

WHOA! You've got to be kidding me. This man was like my soul mate or something. The thick, white creases down the spine of each novel indicated he had read them each, more than once. My heart fluttered just a little bit harder for this man.

My fingers danced over the collection as I remembered my bathroom quest. If this was supposed to be the "guest living quarters," just where in the hell was the toilet? I can't imagine that he would want to face Tanya every time he wanted to take a piss. Turning on my heels, my eyes grazed the entirety of the space. Dining area, Living space, Bedroom. My concentration then focused on a black door at the far right of his loft, beyond the kitchen but next to the platform stairs.

_Bingo!_

I flitted across the wood floors, attempting to remain as quiet as possible. Who knows how long it's been since he's slept?

As I reached out to turn the knob, a warm hand wrapped around my wrist to stop me.

"What are you doing?" he hissed sternly. If I didn't know it was Edward, I could have sworn my father just caught me with my hand in the cookie jar.

"I was looking for the bathroom," I whimpered, my eyes slowly meeting his critical glare.

"It's on the other side of my bedroom," he explained in a softer tone, bringing my hand to his lips tenderly.

"Perhaps you should have given that tour you mentioned," I joked, trying to ease his worried mind.

"Perhaps you shouldn't nose about," he quickly countered. I wasn't sure if he was being serious or playful. Either way, he did not want me in _that_ room.

"If that isn't the dog calling the cat an animal," I teased, shooting him a wink as I sauntered up the step toward the bathroom.


	15. Silver Tongues, Whirlwinds & Competition

**A/N: Well, I'm back, finally! The songs for this piece of the puzzle are "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC and "Kinda, I want to," by NIN. The line "They're just jealous because we're young and in love" that's on the bauble is a line from "Soco Amaretto Lime" by Brand New. You should check it out to learn a little more about Edward and for some insights as to who might have given the glass ball to him. Let me know what you think.**

**Check out my blog for all the links about this story, and be sure to follow me on twitter: _jenn1987**

_Chapter 15  
"Silver Tongues, Whirlwinds and Competition"_

His bathroom was lined with granite counter tops and black tile floors. Again, blue and silver accents intermingled with the overall somber atmosphere his loft generated. Giving him a little smile, I shut the door behind me and sat down on the chair next to the shower. Now that last night was catching up with me, I all but forgot why I even came in here.

My shaky hands ran through my hair, struggling to get a grasp on reality. I'd just found out that Edward Cullen, my enemy, my arch nemesis, had been watching me for over three months. Just exactly how was I supposed to react to this? Surely last night was a fluke. I couldn't possibly be interested in why he was watching me . . . this couldn't possibly be something I found trivial . . . could it?

I pursed my lips and looked around absentmindedly. I needed to recap. I needed to think logically. His smell was everywhere, seducing me and clouding any thought process my overworked brain could muster. And what was up with that room? Why wasn't I allowed there? What was he hiding in there?

_They're just jealous because we're young and in love . . . _

That's a _Brand New _lyric. I only knew it because Jake went through a punk-gay-emo phase a few years back. Shit kickers, over-sized black pants and chains were just a part of the daily ensemble. The depressing rock only added a new level to the madness.

More important was the fact that Edward knew this lyric, and someone felt it deserved to be etched into glass and displayed amongst the family photos. And just who was that blond with the infant?

As much as I wanted to stay, as much as I wanted to fuck him, feel him, taste him again before I went to work, there was an overwhelming sense of flight brewing inside of me. Something wasn't right . . . something felt vile and abused . . . and I simply wouldn't allow that.

_"Get out of here, Bella!_" my sensible side screamed. _"Get out of here before he chops you into little pieces and throws you in the unknown room."_

_"I seriously doubt that!" _wild Bella argued. _"If he was going to chop you into little pieces, he would have already done that."_

_"What if he's waiting for her to come out of the bathroom?"_

_"He would have done it last night after she fell asleep, stupid!" _Wild Bella was growing furious. She wanted nothing more than to pounce on the man again. Sensible Bella simply wouldn't have that this morning. Sensible Bella was demanding one foot in front of the other until we reached the hallway.

_"FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!" _a little voice in my head shouted. _"Get out of here, Bella!"_

Shaking my head furiously, I rose and opened the door to return to his bedroom, expecting to grab my corset and run. My plans were suddenly cut short due to the fact that he was sitting at the opposite side of the room, waiting for me to get out. Legs crossed in front of him with his hands behind his head, he gave me a warm smile and a wink. After rising, he took a few steps in my direction and wrapped his arm around my stomach.

"I'll be right back," he whispered, giving me a kiss on the forehead before sauntering into the bathroom and closing the door behind him.

That kiss, as simple and pure as it was, caused my knees to buckle and my heart to cave deeper in my chest. God, he was so damned gorgeous and beautiful and tempting . . .

_"Stop it Bella. Get out of here!" _the voice shouted again.

After throwing my trench coat over my naked body, I grabbed my corset and my shoes so I could quietly make my way through his apartment. I was freaking out and the cold, somber surroundings of his studio were beginning to suffocate me. I glided over the hard wood, casually looking over my shoulder to make sure he didn't catch the red handed escape.

"Just where do you think you're going?" came a high pitched voice from my right.

I gasped and jumped her direction, dropping one of my shoes in the process. Tanya stood in the kitchen dressed in a black, cotton robe with fuzzy pink slippers on her feet. "I - uh - I need to go grab a change of clothes."

"It's only five am. I'm sure there's plenty of time. Coffee?" she offered, holding up the pot slightly.

"No, thank you. I really should be going."

"Well . . . I must tell you . . ._ this _is quite the surprise," she snickered, allowing a small giggle to come to her lips.

"W-What do you mean?" I managed to stutter.

"Typically, it's Edward creeping back in at this time or throwing out the one night stand. I've never seen a girl practically sprint to the door on her own terms, nonetheless try to sneak out without him knowing. Where's the fire?" Tanya gave me a wink and took a sip of her coffee. Wincing, she placed it back on the granite counter top and added more cream.

"I - um - I've got to get ready for work. Lots of important things to do -"

Tanya took a few steps around the counter and leaned against it with one hand. "Isabella, right?"

I quickly nodded in response.

"Right. Look, my cousin is - well - he's never what he appears to be. From one successful woman to another, you'd do well to not let your -" She adjusted her gaze to my loins momentarily before quickly bringing her eyes back to mine. "-feminine wilds distract you from what's most important. Do you know what I mean?" She spoke slowly and distinctly, emphasizing just the right syllables to make my skin crawl.

My eyes squinted at her response. Why would she tell me this? Why would she even care? Wouldn't she be happy if my company failed - if it came to that? I pursed my lips as I considered her statement. "Successful? Is that what you call being your cousin's assistant in a family run business?"

As if on cue, Edward cleared his throat from the bedroom. I briefly looked to him, back to her, and nodded before excusing myself from the awkward situation in which I now found myself. My bare feet couldn't carry me to away fast enough, and with that thought, I remembered leaving my shoe on the kitchen floor. FUCK!. I was certain I heard Edward's door shut behind me, but I was too much of a - coward? proud bimbo? - to go back and get it. Too much had happened last night. Too much revealed. I needed time to think about it.

Edward Cullen - had watched me - studied me - known me - for well over three months, and said nothing about it. He'd seduced me, having known this, and felt no remorse for having done so.

How dare he? How was any of this reasonable?

I was in my car and found myself standing outside Jacob Black's door before I knew it. I wasn't sure what possessed me to seek him instead of Alice. I suppose I felt as though he would know the best thing to say - the best _unbiased _thing to say. My fist beat against his door, almost as frenzied as he had beat against mine only a few days ago.

_He better be here! God damn it! What if he's not? What then?_

Half dressed and rubbing his eyes, Jake opened the door and took in my trench-coated appearance. "What the hell, Bella?"

"He's been watching me for three months," I breathlessly uttered. It was desperation that emanated from the depths of my stomach this morning.

Jake sighed, shook his head and welcomed me in.

Almost two hours and four cups of coffee later, Jake was still shaking his head. He honestly didn't know what to tell me. Part of him wanted to be excited, wanted to know why I rushed out of there. Didn't that make me hot? Didn't it turn me on to think he was watching me? To a certain degree, that was true. But the other part of Jake, the more protective part, wanted to go beat his ass for being such a perv.

"He said that this was part of the reason he didn't want to take you there. He didn't want you to get the wrong idea, right?"

"Right," I answered.

"Okay. Here's what we're going to do. Close your eyes," Jake coaxed, taking both of my hands in his.

I took a deep breath and did as he commanded. My eyelids slipped shut, instantly confining me to the depths of my own mind.

"I want you to imagine your favorite spot. Whether that be on a beach, on a boat, in a certain sky walk perhaps. Wherever you feel completely comfortable and at ease." His voice was smooth, calming, as if trying to put a baby to sleep.

My mind instantly took me to the mossy, green forest of Forks, Washington. I remembered walking there with my dad when I was young, jumping over fallen logs and picking at long blades of grass. It was the last time I remember feeling peaceful.

"Breath in and out. Let the oxygen fill you," he continued. "Everything falls away. Nothingness. Just you, alone in this place."

My chest rose and collapsed as he wished.

"Edward Cullen," he whispered.

An image of the beautiful, broken man bounced into my head - the way his eyes looked when he rounded that corner and saw me standing there in the Sky Walk. A smile spread across my face.

"There you have it, love. Regardless of what reason has to say about this situation, you adore him. That, in itself, is wonderful," he explained as my eyes shot open, taking in an enamored and completely jealous Jacob Black. "Oh, Bella. I'm so envious. I wish I could find a boy to make a smile that big flash across my face."

As soon as he'd said that, a tall brunette came out of Jake's room. He casually shut the door behind him and zipped his pants. "I'm just gonna -" he started.

Jake nodded and gestured that he'd be right back before walking over to the handsome drink of water. The man grabbed Jake's ass and planted a big, wet one right on the lips. Jake flashed him a wink and walked him to the door, giving him a little wave at the end of their departure.

"That was a pretty big grin," I added.

"Yeah well-" Jake shrugged. "He's got a pretty big something to grin about."

With Jake's approval, I decided not worry about this any further. So he had been watching me? By mere coincidence, it seemed. And I already knew he liked to watch me. If the incident on the _Mississippi Queen_ was any indication, it was probably his favorite thing to do. All this meant was that I had a built in security system. If anyone tried to break in or rob me or rape me or anything - Edward would be the first to know. Perhaps this was a good thing. Besides - no relationship is perfect. And it was better he came out with it now than before or later. Had he done it immediately, I would have been so creeped out, I wouldn't have let things go any further. Had he waited any longer, I imagined myself infuriated that he had waited so long. This was the perfect time.

I already knew the sex was great - we seemed to get along fairly well. If it wasn't for our damned jobs, perhaps things could go even further. For now, we were perfect just as we were. Yes, there was that chance we would get caught and it would ruin everything, but if we were smart, and played our cards right, this affair would be nothing more than that - a well thought out and executed physical relationship.

I made my way back to my complex and hid from Mike on the way to the elevators. A trench coat in the middle of August _was _a little outlandish, but it was none of his damned business anyway. Once inside my loft, I immediately stalked to the windows and looked up. Sure as shit, I had an all access pass to Chez Cullen. Where the angle from his studio was off and he could only see my bedroom, I was able to see everything. His bedroom, his kitchen and even that little "forbidden" room. Perhaps the tables had turned. Perhaps it was my chance to spy on him. And that's exactly what I intended to do.

_"Okay, fucker!" _I thought deviously. _"Two can play that game."_

Work had never lasted so long. In addition to making extra, doubly sure that my presentation for tonight was intact, it was damn near impossible to keep Alice at bay. After she'd found out where he lived and how last night had gone down, she was reeling with questions and suggestions. "End it," she initially responded, only to come back five minutes later with, "Damn, that's fucking hot." She seemed as conflicted as I was about it.

Keeping with my new found revelation, I wasn't going to waste my time brewing about it. Things would work out as they deemed necessary. Dean's party tonight was all I needed to be thinking about; everything had to go perfectly.

Just as I was packing up for the day and preparing to head home, my cellphone began chirping the Mission Impossible theme song. Tempted to ignore it, I remembered how I had left things this morning. Not so much as a good bye, just an uncertain glance and a bolt for the door.

My thumb grazed over the answer button as my shaky hand brought the Blackberry to my ear. "Hello, my gorgeous stalker," I teased.

"Hello. How's your day shaping up so far?" he answered.

I giggled and turned to face him through the window. Though I had been tempted, I managed to keep my eyes in my own headquarters for most of the day. I casually peeked at him once after lunch, only to find him dutifully working at his computer. Now, he sat facing me with that damned stress ball pressed between his fingers and his palm. His blue button down sleeves were rolled to the elbows and his tie was loosened around his neck, indicating yet another hard day of work.

"It started out rather interesting - though it's been a tad difficult to keep my concentration," I replied, taking a few steps closer to the window and reaching out to press my palm against the cool glass.

"My day started out rather interesting as well."

"Really?" I casually teased, seeming to not know what he was talking about, although I knew exactly what was coming.

"I awoke next to, quite possibly, the most beautiful woman to ever walk this green Earth, only to have her give me the slip while I was brushing my teeth," Edward joked with a tense undertone to his voice.

I gasped in fake disbelief. "What did you do?"

"Well, I tried to follow her. But she ran into the parking garage wearing nothing but a trench coat, and since I was only wearing my boxers, I couldn't risk the public display of nudity. What with my being one of MSN's most eligible bachelors and all, the women would have swarmed me," he explained.

"Well, that's understandable. I can see how that would have been a problem for you."

"Tell me, Bella. Why do you think someone would do that to me?"

I shrugged. "Perhaps it had something to do with the creepy connotation that comes with being watched for nearly three months - maybe she had a momentary freak out, if you will."

"Ahh! You know, that's reasonable. I sort of expected that," Edward added with a laugh.

I nodded my head in agreement as a snark grin came to my face. "Right. Well, Mr. Cullen, as you're well aware, I have an engagement tonight that I'm required to attend. Do you mind if I let you go so that I might -"

"If I may speak freely, Ms. Swan. There is a reason I called you, other than to seek your advice on this terribly troublesome situation." He turned away, almost as if he was afraid of my seeing the emotion on his face with what was coming.

"Oh really?"

His hand ran over his head and twisted a stray piece of hair. "Are we alright, Bella? I mean - do you still want me to - nevermind. I suppose it doesn't matter, does it?"

"Uh oh. MSN's most eligible, silver tongued bastard at a loss for words? Perhaps I did rock you this morning?"

"I wouldn't go that far. I only meant that I want to see you again - tonight - after the banquet, that is."

"Hmm -" I contemplated his response. He was afraid he'd pushed the envelope too far - and perhaps he had. But this arrangement was about sex - not about our personal lives and certainly not about our professional lives. I saw nothing _strange_ at his apartment, nor did I see any apprehensive signs that I should really run. My panic attack was nothing more than that - a momentary freak out. "I'll call you when I'm leaving."

"I look forward to it."

With that, I pressed the end button on my phone and grabbed my purse to head for the door.

At six thirty on the dot, Alice chirped over the intercom of my loft.

"Bella! We're here. Are you ready or should I just come up?"

Struggling to put the last earring in place, I stumbled to the buzzer and yelled "Come up," before pressing the button allowing her to enter. I rushed back to my room to check the full length mirror one last time. My black halter dress fell to the top of my feet where it met with strappy, fuck me heels, intentionally worn to tease Mr. Dean, but provoke Mr. Cullen. The straps of my dress twisted over my shoulders to create a decorative overlay of fabric that rested just above my hips on my back. My hair fell into little ringlets below my shoulders, but was pulled up on one side by a beautiful, jeweled barrette that my father had bought me for Christmas a few years ago; though I'm sure it was his girlfriend, Sue, who'd picked it out.

My silver pendant necklace firmly draped over my collar bones, I headed back down to the foyer just as Alice pummeled through the door.

"Do I look okay?" I immediately asked.

She looked me over and nodded. "Absolutely gorgeous. What about me?"

I took in her dark blue evening gown and returned her nod. "Exceptional. Did you bring everything?"

"Of course."

I grabbed my hand bag and ushered her out of the loft, trying to steady my nervous legs as we made our way down the hallway. Tonight was bound to be eventful, to say the least. I knew that Mr. Dean was anxious to introduce me to his associates, but more than that, I knew he was eager to see me again. If that expensive bouquet was any indication, I'd say his intentions were less than professional.

A short limo ride later and we pulled up outside of _Richard's Convention Center. _I took a deep breath to calm the thumping in my chest. I was nervous - overwhelmingly nervous - which was odd for me. Typically, I didn't allow these sorts of functions to have such a dramatic effect. I'd given this presentation hundreds of times before, to various clients, some much more powerful than anyone I'd meet tonight. I suppose the anxiety stemmed from how much time I'd actually spent preparing for this. I knew I'd knock 'em dead - so to speak - but that thought didn't cease the tensing of my stomach. I felt as though I'd eaten a brick.

As the limo got a little closer, I realized just how much this event resembled a Hollywood premier. Photographers, news reporters, and magazine editors were just a few of the recognizable personnel mashed together on either side of the roped off area. The bright, flashing lights damn near blinded me. In addition to that, a red carpet lined my way inside. It was quite peculiar because these events weren't known for drawing this type of attention. Then again, Mr. William Dean, America's hottest import according to _Money Magazine_, was hosting this banquet and I believe he drew this sort of crowd anywhere he went.

The car stopped moving and a young man dressed in a black suit opened my door, extending his hand to help me out. Reluctantly taking it, I climbed out of the back seat, straightened my dress and patiently waited for Alice. It was as if the media was expecting me for some reason, eagerly awaiting my arrival. All focus turned to me.

_Flash, Flash, Flash!_

"Ms. Swan! Over here! Can you account for the rumors swirling around about Dean Enterprises and Dyco Technologies?" a short, blond to my right called. Hundreds of other people were shouting things, random questions and comments. The blond was just the closest and easiest to hear.

I took a few hesitant steps forward, gripping to Alice's hand for dear life.

"What?" I stuttered.

Before I could react to that question, another was pelted at me from the left. "What about your rumored courtship with Mr. Dean? Is there some truth to that allegation?"

"What?" That question made me even more confused. What were these rumors they were talking about? I hadn't heard anything, and I certainly hadn't done anything to warrant such a thing. Surely our corporations were associated but_ we_ were not associated - at least in the way they were talking. There was no courtship. There shouldn't even be rumors to that effect.

Sensing my apprehension, Alice steamed ahead of me and dragged me along behind her. "Ms. Swan has no comment on any accusations or allegations whatsoever," she shouted over top of the blinding lights and frenzied screams.

I shot her a confused glance as she led me through the crowd. I made my way up the stairs to the confines of the glass doors and security guards only to overhear whispers along the lines of "who's the bitch with her?"

"That's her PA, Alice Brandon," someone else answered.

They knew me, and they knew Alice - and that was already too much to handle. Not to mention this "courtship" with Mr. Dean. What - the - fuck? There was nothing like that going on. If anyone had any investigative nature whatsoever, they would definitely had picked up on the fact that Mr. Dean was completely the wrong executive. And this scared me even more. The next thing I knew, I could have reporters outside my complex, snap snap snapping pictures of Edward and I coming out together, meeting at the sky walk. Hell, they probably even had a lens that would peer right into my loft.

_Fuck! I am so screwed. _

Before my overactive mind could freak out any further, we were ushered inside by abnormally large men, who instantly returned to their spot protecting the doors. "What the hell was that?" I shouted, almost exasperated at the whirlwind of media frenzy thrust upon us.

"That - was absolutely insane. Should I start practicing the _Ms-Swan-does-not-confirm-or-deny-those-allegations _speech? You'll have to start paying me extra to be your press secretary as well," Alice joked, and I chuckled.

"What's all this about 'Dean's courtship' with me? Has anyone called the office demanding interviews?"

"No! I'd tell you if they did," Alice replied. She threw her hands on her hips, as if even suggesting such a thing was blasphemous.

"Dean is big on publicity," came a deep, husky voice from behind us. "Stick with him, and he'll thrust you into the lime light."

I jumped and turned slightly, adjusting my gaze at a six foot handsome figure that I vaguely recognized. Sandy blond hair . . . thin, athletic build . . . charming face.

"James Handon?" I asked.

He smiled and stuck out his hand for me to shake. I took it firmly and smiled widely at the blast from the past. We graduated from Cornell together, but since then, I'd only see him on the cover of a few _Fortune 500 _magazines. A huge investor and entrepreneur, it wasn't a surprise that I would find him lurking around this banquet. "Wow! Look at you! All grown up and clean shaven!" I remarked.

"Yeah, I realized the Amish beard only works on inebriated college co-eds," he jokingly replied, raising a hand to his naked chin.

My teeth gritted together as I shook my head in disagreement. "I don't think they were fond of it either, Jim."

"It's great to see you, Bella. I heard about you and Dyco Tech - though I'm sorry it was through a _Maxim _article," he added with a little smirk.

"Are you regretful that I didn't tell you personally, or that I had to show my naked ass in order to get noticed?"

"No, no. It was quite tasteful. I wish we had stayed in better contact, that's all I was implying."

"Of course you were," Alice butted in.

He rolled with laughter as we took a few steps in the direction of the banquet hall. "And who is this?"

"You remember Alice, of course," I answered with a tone that suggested he was insane for not noticing my always-faithful sidekick.

His eyes widened in response and shifted between the two of us. "Brandi Wine? Jesus, look at you. I didn't even recognize you. You cut off your hair."

"It was getting to the point where everyone started to call me Rapunzel. I swore I'd never let it get that long again," Alice explained as she followed closely behind us. We walked through the giant open doors to a huge hall with over a hundred tables sporadically placed on either side of the carpeted aisle. It was extremely well lit and was about half way full with bodies, scrambling back and forth to greet one another.

"Well, I can't tell you how happy I am to see _you_ here, as opposed to Edward Cullen." Jim continued.

"Yeah, Edward Cullen." I almost choked on the name. "What makes you say that?"

"You seemed to have worked your way up - daddy didn't have a company to just hand to you. Makes you more respectable, if you ask me."

My initial instinct was to protect him, defend him - _"He spent all that time in Europe, he honestly knows his shit!" - _but that would have seemed inappropriate, especially coming from me. So, I smiled and nodded in agreement.

"I can see how you'd think that. Shame for Carlisle to just hand it over, huh?"

He nodded and took a few steps forward before speaking again. "So, what do you say, Bella? Gonna get three Jack Daniels shots in ya' and give us a little strip down to a Salt-N-Peppa remix?" he joked, sticking his tongue into the side of his cheek.

Adverting my eyes, a faint blush came to my cheeks before I had a chance to respond. I was planning on bringing up the time he got plastered and hooked up with a girl resembling Ru Paul, leaving the entire party wondering if her bra was stuffed - so to speak.

"Only if time allows," a British voice interrupted. Again, I jumped and turned behind me. Standing six foot delicious, Mr. Dean took a drink of his champagne and planted the other hand in his pocket. He tilted his head my direction and assaulted me with those eyes. Pale, piercing, hypnotizing. Incredible and edible indeed, decked out in a fetching black tuxedo with matching shiny shoes.

"Greetings."

He addressed the three of us, but refused to tear those gorgeous eyes away from me. Oh god, how they made me squirm - and that handsome face did nothing but cause a huge grin to stretch across my face and stop me dead in my tracks. As if sensing my heart flutter, he lifted his head and turned to Jim. "If you wouldn't mind, Mr. Handon, Ms. Swan and I have business to conduct before the ceremony begins."

"Uh oh. The hunter has spotted his prey." James shot me a wink before turning back to Mr. Dean. "She's all yours. Bella, it was wonderful to see you again." Taking a sip of his champagne, he turned on his heels and retreated to his seat next to a few colleagues at a table a few feet to my right.

"Mr. Dean," I greeted, taking a few steps toward the middle of the hall. As if trying to not be terribly interested in him, I averted my eyes to the ginormous chandelier in the middle of the room. It's beautiful crystals sent prisms into the grand banquet room, downplayed only by the hundreds of halogen lights surrounding it.

"Please, Isabella. You're henceforth contractually obligated to call me Will. Mr. Dean is my father, and he's long retired," the gorgeous man corrected, causing an obnoxious giggle to erupt from both Alice and I.

"Will," I corrected after I'd simmered down. "That was quite the elaborate display of media whirlwind."

He raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Well, they say if you want to get anywhere in the States, you need money and fame. My name implies money these days, and I suppose I could live without the fame - but it just follows me wherever I go - whether I want it or not," he explained. "Are you prepared to present?"

"I am. Brought my flashcard and everything," I answered, giving him a little wink.

He laughed and showed me to my seat. "Well, wonderful. You're at the master's table, right here." He gestured to a circular table with about ten men already seated around it. Master's table, of course, implying that he was the master of ceremonies, and I would be sitting with him. Like the gentleman he was, he pulled my seat from under the table followed by Alice's. We sat down while he circled around and took the seat to my left.

"Did you receive my gesture of gratitude?" he asked, flashing me that genuine, sparking grin.

I nodded and crossed my hands on my lap. "If you're referring to the bouquet you sent, Yes, I did. The flowers were lovely, thank you. I apologize, I should have called - or something." I instantly felt like a jackass for not sending something back in return. _Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

"That wouldn't have been necessary. I simply wanted to show my appreciation for you agreeing to present tonight. I wasn't expecting you to oblige," he continued, leaning my direction just a little bit. "But it means a great deal that you did."

"Well, I was honored that you would think to invite me," I timidly replied.

"I wouldn't have had it any other way," he continued, causing yet another blush to come to my cheek. After an awkward pause in which I glanced at a completely enamored Alice, Will decided he needed more of my attention. "Well, things should be getting underway shortly. Can I offer you anything to drink?" He looked over my head and snapped his fingers, beckoning the server in our direction. Within seconds, three people crowded around Alice and I.

"I'll just have a water with lemon, please. Thank you," Alice answered.

"A glass of your champagne is fine." I looked up to the server who nodded and took off toward the direction of the bar and kitchen.

"This is a plated dinner so I hope you arrived hungry," Will whispered, shifting in his chair to solely face me. "Though, if you don't enjoy the food, I won't take it personally. My company has a hand in this place. I can rent it any time I wish for practically nothing."

"I'm starving," Alice blurted, unrolling her utensils and placing the napkin in her lap as if dinner would arrive any second.

"Fantastic," Will continued. "Now that you two are here, dinner should arrive any second. I intend to speak once everyone has satisfied their appetite. I'll start with a little about Dean Enterprises, where we're headed and how we're doing. Then, I suppose I can prepare them to be awed by your exquisite presentation." He then went on to explain exactly what was on the menu for the night. Something about stuffed chicken breast and creamed soufle - I don't know. I gave him a charming smirk and pretended to pay attention to what he was saying - though I found it incredibly difficult. His lips formed those syllables in such a way that I couldn't think of anything besides the way they moved. His words drifted away and I found myself completely focused on watching them tell me whatever it was he was saying.

And those eyes. Cold - gray - like ice. Yet, so completely hypnotizing. I found myself lost in them, which almost never happens. In fact, it only happened when I was with one other person. The two men looked nothing alike and their eyes yielded completely different colors, yet there was something so familiar. Perhaps I only felt that way because I found myself so attracted to each man - or perhaps I'd spent so much time around Edward that I was bound to find a little bit of him in every man I met.

Will must have said something hilarious because I was brought out of my daydream by Alice's boisterous laugh. I blinked and returned my attention to my assistant, who was twisting her necklace between her fingers and staring at Mr. Dean with an enthralled expression on her face.

Suddenly, my blackberry buzzed in my purse. I discreetly reached for it and brought it within eyesight. Hmm.

_The Spy:_  
_7:32 pm_  
_Don't try the __soufflé'__._

I giggled and typed back:

_Will I turn into a pumpkin?_

"Love messages?" Will inquired, shooting me a little wink.

"Just the boss. Making sure I arrived on time," I lied, moving the phone to my lap for an easier retrieval once he'd written back.

"I assumed _you _were the boss." He gave me a small grin and turned into the table, taking a drink of a recently ordered scotch and lazily flopping his right arm over the back of my chair.

"Everyone has someone they need to answer to. In most cases, that's me. I have but one superior," I teased.

"Not everyone has to answer to someone," he casually responded, suggesting he was the _man _when it came to Dean Enterprises.

My phone buzzed again.

_7:38 pm_  
_I'm trying to imagine you sitting there in a desperate attempt_  
_to look interested in what he has to say._  
_What color is your dress?_

Pursing my lips, I studied his response. He was right. I had already managed to tune out while Will was speaking . . . and ironically, I'd come to think of Edward during that fade to static.

_Black. Just wait until you fuck me in these heels._

Feeling incredibly naughty, I gave myself a little smile and returned my attention to Will. He had gotten into a discussion with a colleague to his left about the current stock market trend and how the housing industry was on the "verge of losing it's ass," as the older gentleman put it.

"It's the subprime mortgage lenders that have the most to lose. We're talking Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, etc. That shouldn't affect _us_," the gentleman explained, obviously appealing to Mr. Dean's ego.

"And how so?" I interjected. "If one of them goes bankrupt, they'll all disappear. AIG, Wachovia, all their associates and subsidiaries will be right behind them."

The older gentleman gave me a shit eating grin and turned to look at Will. "And who's this? Another recent college grad?" he smirked with a snide undertone.  
_  
Why, you chauvinist geezer!_ Mr. Dean began to introduce me, but I deemed this pleasure completely my own. "Actually, sir, I'm Isabella Swan, CEO of Dyco Technologies. I'm sure you've heard of it. Pleased to make your acquaintance, and you are?" I stood to shake his hand.

He rose and politely grabbed my palm, shaking as if he were afraid I'd suddenly change into a succubus and eat him on the spot.

"This here is Jonas Wills, my financial director," Will explained, smiling a little at our banter.

We all sat as I continued, (rather condescendingly I might add. But fuck it! This guy had insulted me and deserved what was coming next.) "Hmm, well, Mr. Wills, perhaps you should review your portfolio. If the housing market crashes, there's no telling whether we'll be okay. Just what do you intend to do if the bank that holds Will's funds suddenly goes out of business, and everything you thought you once had is just gone - poof - into thin air?"

"Bella -" Alice whispered, jabbing me in the thigh.

"I meant no offense, Ms. Swan. Mr. Dean frequently invites pretty faces to these banquets just to show them off. I assumed -"

"Yes, I know what you assumed, and perhaps if you paid more attention to his finances rather than his love life, you might not advise him so poorly. In fact, I'm quite terrified of something like that happening," I explained, avoiding the gaze I now received from every director at the table. "We'll all be underwater struggling for air."

"Ms. Swan, please -" Mr. Wills tried to continued.

"Jonas, that is quite enough," Mr. Dean scolded, much like a father disciplines a child. Jonas seemed to cower in his seat and took another swig of his beer. Will licked his lips and leaned in to whisper in my ear. "You have quite the silver tongue, Mr. Swan. Perhaps I should employ you as my Operations Officer."

"You couldn't afford me," I quickly replied, causing a belly laugh from just about everyone at the table. The simple fact of the matter was that he _could_ afford me if he wanted to. The biggest damper on that situation was that Mr. Dean was struggling with his need for my talents professionally versus personally. It was very apparent that he was incredibly interested in me, but would pursue his prey in the most gentlemanly fashion possible. Our companies were associates, not enemies. If it came out that he and I were _together, _no one would question it. Hell, Jenks would probably do back flips that I had finally found someone to suit my fancy.

The other damper on the situation was that I was already sort of taken . . . I guess . . . kind of. At least my body was. Edward had yet to make a play for my heart. Simply imagining Will and I in that sort of situation sent shivers down my spine, as if my body would repel that as much as possible. It's not that he wasn't attractive or that I wouldn't even consider it, but something about Edward had me addicted. Will seemed the beer to a vodka drinker, the salvia to a pot head. Almost as good, but not quite enough.

Of course, I'm speaking from an outsider perspective. I'd never sampled the cuisine - as it were.

Dinner was served, and as Edward advised, I stayed away from the soufflé. - Edward. Fuck! My phone had buzzed at least three times over the course of my making Jonas look like an ass. I leaned my head down to look over what I missed.

_7:45 pm_  
_And your hair? Curled or Straightened?_  
_Up or around your shoulders?_

_7:56 pm_  
_And just what are you wearing under that black evening gown?_

_8:07 pm_  
_ I should leave you alone._  
_You're probably presenting right now._

_8:20 pm_  
_Good luck, doll. I'll see you tonight._

Wanting to make sure he didn't feel abandoned, I responded to all four at once.

_Curled, down, Nothing, Yes you should and not yet,_  
_We're eating dinner. I can't wait to see you tonight._

Just as I placed my phone back into my purse, I heard Alice gag. I looked up in time to see her discreetly spit her soufflé into her napkin and place it to the side of her plate. That reflex must have started a chain reaction because before I could ask if she was okay, she stood and excused herself to the bathroom, dashing down the side of the hall to the lavatory at the far end.

"Is she alright?" Will asked with true concern on his face.

"Ahh - she's a few months pregnant. You know how taste buds change and everything. I should -" I started, rising to follow after her.

Each man at the table stood when I did. "Yes, please. Go check on her," Will exclaimed. "Here, take some napkins." He handed me both his and a few spare linens.

I grabbed her water and dutifully followed her trail.

Once in the lavish bathroom, I looked to the attendant sitting by the sinks. She pointed to the last stall, but I didn't need the direction. I could hear Alice as soon as I'd entered. "Alice?"

"Oh Bella -" _Heave. Splash. Heave. Splash. _ "I'm so sorry -"

"It's okay, honey." I opened her door and walked in behind her, grabbing what I could of her hair to hold it above her head.  
_  
Heave. Splash. _

"Just let it all out, baby," I cooed, softly rubbing her back in support. It was a good thing I'd never had a view-and-spew reflex, or else I'd be in the stall next to her, heaving up my dinner as well. Once she was done, she rolled to the side and grabbed the napkin from my hand, shamefully wiping the sweat and drool from her face. I knelt down in front of her and rubbed her shoulder, trying to let her know I was here for her in anyway she needed me.

"I'm so sorry, Bella. I ruined it all," she whimpered through sobs beginning to form in the back of her throat.

"Don't ever apologize to me for that, okay? Especially when you're all pregnant and shit. No worries. You're more important to me than any of this. And if it's that little bugger making you puke, I'm okay with it. My niece or nephew deserves whatever it wants." I gave her a gentle smile and another kiss on the top of her head.

"It wasn't the baby - that damned soufflé was ghastly," she joked, chuckling a little at the end. Leave it to Alice to try to crack a joke after puking her guts up.

As soon as we came out of the stall, the attendant greeted us with a back up toothbrush, toothpaste, eyeliner, concealer and mascara. I made sure to tip her whatever was in my wallet once Alice was presentable again. "You're not the first to puke from the soufflé," the young beautiful attendant confessed, instantly bringing a smile to both of our faces. "Congratulations on the baby, M'am."

We made our way back to the table, where all the men stood yet again to welcome our return. "All better?" Will asked.

"Much better, thank you," Alice coyly answered. I could tell she was a little embarrassed, but she seemed to play it off well. I told her on the way back that I explained she was pregnant, and just like men, they all shuddered and begged for me to take care of her. Pregnancy was a topic men never wanted to discuss - unless it involved their little swimmers and a child support check for the rest of their lives.

"You seem to care deeply about your employees," Will whispered in my left ear, his hot breath shooting right down the front of my dress.

I shivered and turned to him, his face merely inches from mine. "She's my best friend and has been since we were six. More than my employees, I care deeply for _her_ and whatever spawn she's carrying around."

Will chuckled at my word choice before throwing down his napkin in defeat. He found himself simply unable able to make a happy plate this round, a fact that seemed to make him jokingly embarrassed. The banter continued, but Jonas stayed particularly quiet throughout the remainder of the meal. Perhaps he was ashamed or afraid he'd lose his job now that I'd put him in place. Whatever the case, he now knew I was more than just a pretty face and maybe he'd think twice next time before he made assumptions about women in general.

After dessert had been delivered, raspberry gelatin with a generous helping of whipped cream, Will stood to begin the ceremony. He walked on stage and was immediately presented with a standing ovation. It seemed that everyone loved this man, or at least pretended to in his presence. He delivered a charismatic speech, complete with intelligent jokes and a gentle prod at his own "extracurricular" activities, including said college graduates. Mr. Dean, apparently, was quite the playboy and wasn't ashamed to put it out there. The crowd roared with laughter that was ultimately silenced by the high tech video that followed. It presented Dean Enterprises as an up and coming company, one that was being redesigned with the new millennium in mind. Out with the industrial revolution, in with the technological revolution. With that, he introduced Dyco Technologies as the company to head such an endeavor.

"Ms. Isabella Swan," he announced, gesturing my direction. I stood, walked to the platform and handed the stage manager my flash card. He, in turn, handed me the clicker so that I could flash through my slides as I needed. The presentation went as smoothly as I could have asked for it to have gone. The guests laughed when they were supposed to and seemed entranced in parts where I wanted them to be merely interested.

"So, in this day and age, it appears nothing is impossible. If it can be thought up and planned, we can execute it. From tiny robots that eat cancer to refrigerators that order your groceries. Dyco Technologies was there when IBM thought up the first processor, and we'll be there when things come to a head in the new age. Whatever that may bring, I know we'll be ready - we always have been. The most important question to ask yourself is: will you be? Can you, your company, your investors, handle what the future holds?" With that, I gave the crowd a smile and clicked to the last slide on my presentation.

Every person in the crowd stood. There were some whistles and roars of appreciation, but for the most part, the applause I received rivaled that of Mr. Dean's. I immediately knew that I held each and every man, woman, CEO and investor in the palm of my hand. Not only did I speak their language, but I spoke it fluently and with grace. They could buy stock, buy product, invest, donate, contribute, whatever. Just give me your damned money so I can tell Cullen Inc. to suck my dick in true _G.I. Jane_ fashion.

By the time Will had returned to the stage and I made my way back to the table, I noticed that Alice was absent - completely MIA. I assumed she had run off to the bathroom again. Mr. Dean finished introducing the next speaker, a pharmaceutical company by the name of Hyden. The thin, lanky gentleman took the stage just as Will returned to his seat next to me.

"Your assistant took off for the evening. She sends her regards," Will explained.

I was shocked. Alice had - left me - she was gone - she just abandoned me. "Why?" I managed to stutter, more out of fear for myself than regard for her. It was selfish, I know, but it was an immediate response to what I was being presented with. It was like my right hand had suddenly disappeared without my knowledge.

"She had taken ill - turned the most awful shade of green. I told her to take the limo home, that I would drop you off personally."

_Of course you did, you sly bastard!_

I shook my head in shock. "And she just left and assumed that was okay with me?"

His face dropped slightly, as if he was looking forward to the alone time. "Is it an issue? I'm sure she can have the driver return if -"

"No," I answered anxiously, not wanting him to get the wrong idea. It wasn't that I didn't want to be alone with him - okay, that's a lie. It had everything to do with the fact that I didn't want to be alone with him. He was bound to be the straw to break my back. If it wasn't my enemies trying to bark up my tree, it was my associates - even if he is an incredibly attractive, eloquent, exquisite -

EDWARD CULLEN, DAMMIT!

I needed to stay focused on the fact that I was _taken_ - kind of - but I knew I couldn't lose face in front of Dean either.

"I suppose that's alright," I eventually conceded, trying to hide my anger with a giant smile, but I was furious. Who would take the names of my potential clients? Who would back me up? Who would distribute my pamphlets? Damn that little spawn!

I was so conflicted. I knew that, as angry as I was, I had to say it was okay. I certainly couldn't fault Alice for being pregnant, nor could I be angry with her for leaving. I know I wouldn't want to stay if I was puking my guts up. But to take the limo? And then force me to leave with Will? I suppose this was her plan though. I knew she didn't want me screwing the competition any more, and I guess she thought Mr. Dean would be the perfect replacement.

Three more people spoke and after the presentation portion of the ceremony was over, I was damn near ambushed by investors. They shoved business cards in my hands, some even writing checks out on the spot. It was certainly an event worth coming to, and I'm damn glad I was here instead of Cullen. I had a feeling that this would be the advantage I needed to keep things on my end of the scale. Cullen could have Vanderhausen, if he really wanted him. I'm sure that after tonight, there'd be no touching me anymore . . . financially speaking. He could literally touch me anywhere, anytime he wanted. But when it came to who was making the most money, I'd have him by the balls - and perhaps he knew that was coming.

After everyone had filed out of the banquet hall, Will and I sat at the masters table alone, and engaged in quite a humorous conversation.

"So, let me ask you this. What makes a beautiful, intelligent woman like yourself so interested in gizmos and gadgets?"

"It's never going to go out of business. I'll always have a job," I answered honestly. "What makes a handsome man like yourself so interested in gizmos and gadgets?"

"No, no, no. See, there's where you have the wrong idea about me. I've got an interest in money, and when I see a profitable business where I can make a huge payoff in little time, I can't help but be tempted." He flashed a charming smile my direction and casually looked at his watch. "Would you look at that? It's already midnight."

My eyes widened at his words. Friday was over. Would Edward still come? Would we still have our evening? Now, I wasn't so sure. I had told him I'd be home no later than ten or eleven. Here it was, midnight, and I still hadn't called him - and it would be damn hard to check for any messages with Will breathing down my neck.

"Will, listen. I like you, and I certainly enjoy what you've done for the company, but -"

"You're not looking for anything serious. Nor am I. I thoroughly enjoy your company, Ms. Swan, and that's the extent of it."

"I was gonna say we should leave -"

"Of course you were, but I know what you really trying to say. I figured I'd just save you the embarrassment of my rejection," he sarcastically replied, as if trying to save face.  
_  
Smooth move . . . I'll play along._

"Well, thank you. I suppose that would have been terribly difficult for me." I flashed him a smile that suggested the gesture was sweet. Taking this as my cue, I rose and grabbed my handbag. "Are you sure you don't want me to call my driver? He was supposed to be on until _I _let him off. He knows that. I'm sure he'll come back if need be."

"Nonsense. Wherever you live, it's on the way," he insisted, rising to follow me out of the hall.

I wasn't entirely prepared for what happened once we'd rounded the corner to leave through the front door. The media had stayed put. They were looking for him, looking for me. It was almost as if they were anticipating this - him and I leaving together.

"Oh boy -" I breathed, steadying myself for the onslaught.

Will placed his hand on my lower back and turned towards me, his body exceptionally too close for comfort. "Alright, keep your head down. Don't make eye contact and keep moving. Whatever they say, whatever they do, keep moving. I'll have Gary and Ron escort us to the limo."

With that, he barreled through the glass door, damn near dragging me behind him. His hand like a vice on mine, he pulled me through the crowd as a frenzy of flashing lights and screaming reporters whirled around me. It was nauseating to say the least.

_"Does this mean you two are together?"_

_"How long have you been dating?"_

_"When's the wedding?"_

_"What does this mean for your companies?"_

_"Will Dyco Tech and Dean Enterprises merge?"_

Gary and Ron, the two over-sized bodyguards pushed their way through the bodies, clearing a space just big enough for us to follow right behind them. The limo pulled up, we hopped in, and, just like that, the frenzy was over. It seems to whirl right by me like a tornado - come and gone in a matter of a few seconds.

"What the hell was that?" I gasped, completely exasperated. I had never experienced ANYTHING like this before. Will shrugged and gave the driver directions to my complex. "You know," I continued. "They asked me the same things on the way inside. What did you tell them about us?" I charged, my eyes narrowing on him incredulously.

"I told them nothing!" he whined, instantly jumping to the defensive. "They read the itinerary and made assumptions henceforth. You were the guest of honor, you know?" he confessed. Adjusting his position, he scooted a tad closer to me and flopped his arm over the top of the seat. "Do you think I would make up lies about you?"

I shook my head and laughed breathlessly. "I suppose not. That would be ridiculous, huh?"

"Extremely. Tell me, Ms. Swan, because I've been curious about this since our last conversation. What else haven't you done? Have you been bungee jumping?"

"Never, that's almost as idiotic as sky diving," I joked with a giggle.

"What about cliff diving?" He pressed for more information, hanging on every word I spoke. He seemed drawn to me - as if knowing every detail of my life was of utmost importance.

I laughed in response. "What is your obsession with throwing yourself off high places? Do you have a death wish?"

"Don't avoid the question," he teased. Wow! He was starting to sound like me when I . . . talked . . . to Edward.

Damn, I just could not stop thinking about that man tonight, no matter how hard I tried.

"Alright, that one I have done," I confessed, remembering my brief foray into jumping off things.

Will's face lit into fake surprise. "Whoa! Wild cat! Everybody watch out, huh?" he joked sarcastically.

"Once!" I explained. "With my friend, Jake. I took him home to Washington with me one summer. . . and he dared me. I was too self destructive to say no. So, there you have it."

"Washington? Washington State?" His eyes squinted with confusion.

"Well, there are certainly no ginormous cliffs in Washington DC."

"You'd be surprised," he snickered, adding a chuckle to the end of his comment.

I squirmed in my seat. Now that I was alone with him in his limo - on his turf - I was beginning to feel the slightest bit uncomfortable. Just how was I supposed to get away from him long enough to call Edward? What would he do if he found out Dean was escorting me home? I really, really hoped he was not standing outside my door waiting for me. Either that, or I prayed I could get rid of Will before it got that far.

"What about now? Do you have any plans for this early morning? Let's go bungee jumping," Will suggested in a serious tone.

"What?" I choked with a laugh. "You're crazy! Just where would we do that?"

"I know a chap who opens whenever I call. I pay him extremely well, but besides the point, what do you have to do at midnight on a Friday?"

More like _who _do I have to do at midnight on a Friday. "Uh . . . Sleep?" I awkwardly answered.

"C'mon, Isabella. You can sleep when you're dead. You just made over ten million dollars, American, in one night. The best ending to an evening like that is to add some adrenaline to the situation. It's like dessert after a well cooked fillet Mignon. I know only two ways to do that at midnight, and being that we've only just met, that leaves bungee jumping."

He couldn't possibly be serious . . . could he? He was testing me, seeing how far I would allow him to push me or persuade me. If I didn't have plans, if I didn't have a gorgeous man waiting for me, if it was any other night - I believe I'd be up for that. But, things being what they were, I would have to decline. "I'm in an evening gown." I responded, blurting the first excuse that came to mind.

"You aren't wearing any under garments?" he jested.

My face froze. He _was _serious. He wanted to go bungee jumping right fucking now. "Yes, I have on under garments . . . under garments that are quite revealing due to the slim fitting nature of my gown. Wouldn't want to walk on stage with pantie lines."

"As if I've never seen the feminine form. Please, Ms. Swan, spare my innocent eyes. Keep your knickers covered!" Will teased, causing a deep bellow from both of us.

"Mr. Dean - Will - I really can't. I'm exhausted and I'm supposed to take Alice shopping tomorrow -" I continued. I could think of a thousand reasons why I shouldn't do it, but only one that I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs. I was desperate to fuck the shit out of Edward Cullen. Will had a point - sex would be absolutely fantastic right now. And the only dick I craved was patiently awaiting my return.

"She didn't seem up for it when she left this evening," he protested.

Alright. I had just about enough of this. There wasn't a bone in my body that wanted to spend another second with Will. At this point, I was so desperate for Edward that I just about threw myself out of the car and called him to come get me. "Rain check. I promise," I suggested.

Will nodded as if understanding completely. "I'm the type to hold you to that though. Lots of great things to jump off of in Vegas. I assume you'll be at the convention?"

"Of course," I answered with a gracious smile.

"Well, I pray I see you before then. But if not - what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."

"That's what they say."

"So you may go crazy - _idiotic_ if you wish - without the fear of repercussions from your real life?"

"Only from my own conscious. But yes, I suppose you have yourself an accord," I agreed. At least I could hold him off until then and who knows what would happen in Vegas? Perhaps I'd spend my entire time with Edward and there simply wouldn't be time for flinging myself off high places.

"That's only if I can't get you to do it beforehand," he continued. "Like I said, I pray I see you before then. Two weeks is entirely too long."

The limo stopped and I realized that we were already at my complex. I sighed, looked to the enormous building and then back at Mr. Dean before climbing out. He followed out behind me and as I walked to the revolving glass doors, I did my best to get rid of him before going inside. I awkwardly turned to say goodbye, only to realize he was about three inches behind me, peering down at me as if he was leaning in for a kiss. His gorgeous smile, those perfect dimples, and those eyes. I couldn't help but stare at them. Instantly remembering another set of eyes I was entranced with, I smiled, stuck out my hand and hoped he would call it a night. "Thank you very much for the lift, and the wonderful evening. It's been a pleasure."

"Surely the pleasure has been all mine, but, Ms. Swan, you're speaking nonsense. My father would whip me with his belt if it was made known that I didn't walk you to your door. Which floor is it?" he answered, looking up at the skyscraper that seemed to go on forever. My eye line followed his and naturally drifted over to the Sky Walk, where intimate memories of last night danced through my head. I couldn't be sure but I swear the six foot outline of a very familiar body stood directly in the middle of the two buildings. The angle was all wrong, and it was too high up, but if I was a betting woman, I'd throw twenty down on the fact that Edward Cullen was watching me like a hawk right now.

"It's the fifteenth. A very long elevator ride and there's no need for that. Only key holders can enter through the doors," I explained, again sticking my hand out to say goodbye.

"You won't escort me in?"

"Will, I've had a lovely evening, and I certainly don't want to downplay your hospitality. But, I'm sort of seeing someone right now. So, as interested as I am in you, and your business, I'm afraid this must remain a professional relationship." There! It was out in the open. He couldn't push anymore - I was seeing someone. I was taken.

"Well, I'm glad you've had a lovely evening, and if you want, there will be plenty more. Being that you're only _sort of_ seeing someone, there's no reason why my gesture of walking you to your door is unjust or unfounded in any case. It's not as if I've asked you to invite me in," he suggested, absolutely refusing to take no for an answer.

I sighed. This was going to be more difficult than I thought. Now I understood why the man was able to maintain his powerful status in society. His silver tongue held more carats than mine and was polished more often. "Is he waiting for you?"

After a brief pause, I uttered, "I'm not certain," and adjusted my gaze to my feet.

"Well, then, let me meet him, size up my competition."

I laughed. Wouldn't _that _just be swell? Talk about awkward encounters. "Oh no. That is entirely unnecessary."

A look crossed his face that suggested acknowledgement had FINALLY fallen over him. He'd been beaten and I wouldn't have it any other way. "Very well, then, as you wish. But rest assured, I've not given up on you, Isabella. Nor will I."

With that, he grabbed my hand and brought it to his lips, kissing my knuckles as if we were straight out of an eighteenth century romance novel. Just call me Jane and him, Mr. Rochester. Except, what will happen when that crazy Bertha comes flying out of the attic?

"Goodnight, Mr. Dean," I murmured, wanting nothing more than to bolt for my door. I really hoped Edward would still come tonight - _HAH! _- I hoped I would still come tonight.

"Sleep well, Ms. Swan. Pleasant dreams." He gave me a charming smile, turned and climbed back into the limo. One foot in and one foot still on the sidewalk, he turned to address me once more. "But you are interested in me?"

I had already taken a few steps toward the door. Looking over my shoulders, I smiled and nodded. "Compelled would be more appropriate."

He flashed me a sexy grin and sat down into the back of the limo, shutting the door behind him. I took one last glance to the Sky walk, only to notice that my six foot familiar figure had disappeared.

**A/N: Be sure to check out my blog at http:/ www (dot) jenn1987sspot (dot) blogspot (dot) com**


	16. Caged Animals, Muses and Making Rage

**A/N: ****There's two songs for this chapter. "Save the Last Dance for Me" by the Drifters, and "Personal Jesus," by Marilyn Manson. (Google that shit!) I think you'll be able to figure out where they go.**

_Chapter 16  
"Caged Animals, Muses & Making Rage"_

As incredibly tempting as bungee jumping with Will at midnight sounded, I knew I had let down another man in my life - a man who had claimed me, marked me, as his own long ago. To see him standing on the Sky Walk awaiting my return only brought about the fear that Edward had sensed another stag on his turf - a fear that in itself was completely unfounded.

I had spent the entire day anxiously awaiting the banquet, only to spend the entire time there waiting until I left. I hadn't realized how much I literally _craved_ Edward until I was faced with another option - an equally beautiful and powerful option - an option that I might have acted upon had that night in the elevator with my enemy not happened - an option that, in a parallel universe, I would be taking advantage of in this very moment.

Quickly making my way through the lobby, I rifled through my handbag for my Blackberry and pressed the redial button as soon as it was in my grasp. An electric shock of nervousness coursed through my limbs at the thought that he might not answer. It was after midnight and technically Saturday. It wasn't our day anymore and I had no entitlement to him - no hold whatsoever. He could be out at a night club for all I knew, dancing with some little slut who held only half the intelligence that I did.

The phone rang three times before going to voicemail.

"_You have reached the voicemail box of -"_

My mouth gaping into ginormous surprise, I hung up and collapsed. My heart instantly sank into my stomach, my knees damn near gave out on me, and, as the elevator doors closed, I felt stifled by the suffocating metal surrounding me.

_Well, damn it all to hell!  
_  
I found myself repeating the same thing over and over in my head.

I had no reason to think - I had no hold on - I had no entitlement to - but how I wished I did. He was free as a bird at this point, and I knew I had fucked myself.

_Damned Alice! Damned Dean! Damned banquet and stupid competition clause._

During the torturous elevator ride to my floor, I scanned my text messages one last time - a desperate plea for something I missed hanging in the back of my mind.

_Please let there be something. A "fuck off" would be better than nothing._

_8:20_

_Good luck, doll. I'll see you tonight._

_~end of messages~_

_FUCK! _

I shook my head furiously, knowing I had no reason to freak out.

"_I'll see him Sunday,"_ I told myself. Alice and I would go out tomorrow. Perhaps I'd have time to spy on him a little, and then he'd be at my door that night. _"It would all be okay." _ I tried to remain confident, cool and collected - but as soon as the thought crossed my mind that I'd have to wait twenty four hours to fuck him again, the sudden urge to call Dean back passed through my mind.

_Ugh!_

Instantly repulsed with myself, I quickly discarded that idea. There was absolutely no bone in my body that wanted to see him again tonight. Well, that's not entirely true - maybe there was a little bone that could stand to see him . . . a little bone located somewhere around my libido. But the minor tingling in that part of my body paled in comparison to the intense urge I felt to see Edward. I was shaking, damn near breaking out into sweats, as a thousand "what ifs" rattled through my brain.

_What if he'd seen us, gotten the wrong idea and gone back to his loft for good?_

_What if that wasn't him at all?_

_What if he IS out at a club?_

_What if he's seducing some other bimbo with those lips, those eyes - my lips, my eyes - those precious parts of his anatomy that seemed to sparkle for me and me alone?_

_What if - what if - what if -_

I had to force myself to calm down before I had a panic attack. Deep meditation seemed to work the best and I instantly began to imagine myself strolling through the mossy, green woods of Forks. I took a few deep breaths to slow my pounding heart and soothe my frenzied nerves. Besides, Cullen had no real reason to be upset with me. I hadn't done anything with Dean, nor had I given him any reason to think I was even interested in the Brit. We were business associates, and that was the extent of it. Edward knew this - he HAD to know this.

The elevator doors opened on my floor, and I trudged down the hallway toward my door, clawing for my keys in my handbag.

As I rounded the corner, my anxious gaze drifted from my feet to my door causing my heart to flutter through my chest. On second thought, "flutter" simply wouldn't be enough. My heart did fucking back flips through my rib cage. Standing outside my loft, rather despondent and lost in his own thoughts, was what my body had ached for the entire night. It was my counterpart, my equal, my enemy.

"Edward -" I breathed, almost amazed that he had come after all. He looked up in my direction and smiled, his entire face coming to life as soon as those eyes met mine. Trying not to look too surprised or excited, I forced my seemingly frozen feet to walk at normal pace to my door, though they threatened to break out into a sprint. God, he looked amazing. Something about the way that black tux fell over the length of his extremities forced a jolt of excitement straight to my loins. "What are you doing here?"

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion and he licked his lips before continuing, almost as if he was starving and now being presented with a thick, juicy steak. "You did want me to come over, right? I suppose I could go back to my loft -"

"No!" I almost shouted, but then collected myself with a giggle. "No - I wanted you to come over. I always want you to come over. I called you, but I didn't think you wanted to see me."

"Why would you think that?"

"You didn't answer."

He flashed that perfect crooked grin and slid his free hand into his pocket, his other hand toting his briefcase as usual. Tilting his head to the left a little, he softly explained, "Left my phone at the loft. No interruptions tonight."

"It's well after midnight - I hold no entitlement to you, nor you to me," I continued, further justifying my cause for concern.

"I realize that. But I was hoping, since we were robbed a few hours of our personal life for professional, that you may consider breaking the rules - just this once." He flashed a smile at me and held up his index finger as if to accentuate the "once" part.

My lips twisted into an overzealous grin. "Well, if it's just this once -" Before I could say anything else, his arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me into a fantastic, beautiful kiss. It was the sort of thing you only read about in fairy tales. The kind where lily pads come to life and birds start singing. The only difference was that fairy tales typically ended with a happily ever after - and I knew there would never, could never, be such a thing for us. Our story would end with one of us biting the bullet; I just wasn't sure who that would be just yet.

My fingers twisted around the shoulders of his black jacket and pulled his torso closer to mine, almost as if I couldn't get close enough. He seemed to melt against me, our bodies molding to fit the lost puzzle piece each had desperately missed. I moaned and wrapped my arms around his neck, refusing to let him go for fear that this was just a dream and I'd wake up to walk around that corner and find no one.

He eventually pulled away and pressed his forehead to mine. "Were you planning on taking this inside or do you generally prefer to seduce me in hallways?" Those perfect green eyes met mine with amusement and adoration.

"Hmm . . ." I hummed before planting another peck on his precious lips. "I was rather hoping you'd seduce me this round."

I giggled, slid my key into the door and pushed it to the side. Taking a few steps in my foyer, I threw my stuff on the kitchen counter and began to take the barrette out of my hair. Just as my hands fumbled through my thick, curly locks, Edward's warm palms pressed over my wrists to stop me. His warm body pressed against my back while he leaned down and whispered into my ear.

"Did you wear your hair like that to the banquet?" His breath hit my naked shoulder, sending shivers down my spine.

"Yes," I cooed, softly.

"Then don't take it out. You look . . . amazing . . . just as you are. I want to savor it."

I chuckled and nodded my head in response. "And the explanation for the way you look?"

"I didn't want you to feel overdressed," he jested, pressing those velvet lips to the nape of my neck.

I nodded in response and went to turn to face him, but those incredibly talented arms wrapped around my waist to hold me in my position.

"What did you do while you were there?" he whispered before inhaling deeply, like he had missed my smell, missed my very essence.

"Well . . ." I started hesitantly. I wasn't exactly sure how much I should tell him and how much would be better left unsaid. The thought then crossed my mind that, perhaps, if I was honest with him, he would be honest with me. I had a bundle of questions for him, millions of things to rattle off, but every time the words came to my lips, something about him swayed me. "I presented - made a ton of money."

"A ton, huh?" he asked with a smile against my neck.

"It was disgusting. I'm filthy rich - well - I suppose Dyco Tech is filthy rich."

We had begun to sway back and forth, dancing to a silent tune stuck in our heads. "Did you eat dinner with the oh-so-clever-William-Dean?" His lips trailed back to my ear and eventually to the other side of my body, applying the same amount of attention he had so generously given to my right.

"Of course," I uttered, almost as if that was a stupid question to begin with.

Another smile against my skin. "And did you try the souffle?"

The soft, curves of my bum grazed over the thin fabric of his pants, instantly coaxing the source of my craving out of hiding - as it were. "I was specifically told to stay away from it."

"Good girl," he added with a chuckle. "And did you dance?"

"There wasn't time for dancing."

He gasped in fake disbelief. "What a shame."

"A shame?"

"Hmm . . . indeed." Hot lips pressed against the bare skin on my shoulders. "You, Ms. Swan, look stunning. The fact that he didn't ask you to dance is almost appalling." Without another word spoken, he grabbed my hand and twisted my body to face him, almost in a twirl. He placed one of my hands on his shoulder, the other he held cupped in his hand.

"There wasn't enough time for that. I'm not sure it was even on the agenda."

He leaned in slightly, slowly beginning to sway back and forth with more momentum. "I assure you, I would have made time."

"How did you know the souffle would be horrible?"

"_Richard's_ has been his banquet hall of choice since he moved here. I've been there three times, personally," he explained, twirling me again. When my body flung back towards his, he paused - completely ceased all movement. "Why did you arrive home so late? Wasn't it over around ten?"

I shook my head in embarrassment. "Alice got sick - she took the limo back to her place." Certainly there could have been better ways for me to handle the situation. I should have called the driver back, I should have denied Dean's offer, I should have done this or I should have done that. But in the end, I knew that Dean simply wouldn't have it any other way. In the end, I was getting in that limo with him whether I liked it or not.

"And I assume Dean saw it as his personal duty to make sure you arrived home safely?"

One side of my mouth pulled into a half smile at Edward's immediate understanding. He must know Dean better than I thought he did. "Were you watching us from the sky walk?"

Instead of answering, he started dancing again, slowly twirling us around my living room and cautiously avoiding my furniture in the process.

"You were, weren't you?"

"I needed to know you were safe. I needed to know the second you arrived -"

"I'm a big girl, Edward. I can handle pompous men all by my lonesy -"

"There is no doubt in my mind that you are fully capable of extracting the dog from your leg. But it would have been quite the embarrassing situation should he have insisted on walking you to your door and - lo and behold - there's your number one competition and his old associate waiting patiently for your return."

I contemplated his response. "Touche -" I agreed. "But I sent him packing, as you noticed."

"Indeed you did." He paused then, as if to add emphasis to what was coming. "Should I be impressed?"

"Huh?"

"I would have been impressed had you invited him up. You said so yourself - I held no entitlement to you."

His banter seemed to confuse me. Was he saying he actually _wanted _me to bring Dean up, that he _wanted _me to break the rules? "You wouldn't have been upset that I'd broken the rules? Or at least _appeared _to break the rules?"

"We're breaking the rules right now . . . should I be upset?"

I broke contact from him, instantly repealing my hands to my waist. "Well - if you feel that way - perhaps he's not too far away. I can certainly call him back." I turned to walk toward my kitchen and retrieve my cell phone. I'd made it two steps before I felt his hands grip to either side of my hips and pull me back to him.

"Certainly you can do better than William Dean." His voice seemed to radiate with a certain whimsical nature.

"Hmm . . . Is that envy or pride?" I countered as I leaned against his chest. Again, my body rubbed against a certain stiffness in his pants that was becoming all too familiar to me.

"Neither -" My body pressed snugly to his chest while his hands traveled the length of my torso. Confident palms rubbed over my stomach and down my waist to where my legs met my loins. He pressed his lips to my ear lobe, breathing deeply as those nimble fingers inched the skirt of my gown over my knees. He scrunched it in his hands until the mark from last night - _his mark_ - was clearly visible to the both of us. "- that's confidence, love."

I shook my head and pursed my lips, forcing some sort of giggle through my nose. _You cocky son of a -_

"Tell me you would have gone any further with Dean, knowing that the remnants of my lips were planted . . . " His right hand swept under the black fabric and cupped my thigh gingerly. ". . . right . . . there." That hand did nothing but slide north, further and further, until my barely-there thong panties were the only barrier left between our skin. ". . . Uh oh . . . Somebody lied-" he hissed, bringing his hand back to my hip. The skirt of my gown fell back to my feet as he hastily flipped me around to face him, much like a child handles a doll. My breathing hitched, my pulse quickened . . . I knew there was no way out. As much as those questions damn near poured out of me, everything in me wanted this more.

_Fuck answers!_ They'd come eventually.

"How so?" I breathlessly uttered.

"You told me you had nothing on under your evening gown. And I distinctly feel cotton," he teased, enunciating each syllable through gritted teeth.

"Payback's a bit-" I started to say.

I was cut off by the movement of his blush lips once again. "I've never _lied_ to you, Bella."

My jaw squared and my eyes narrowed. I'm sure that if looks could kill, he'd be beaten and bloodied on the floor right now. "Then, who's the muse?"

His head tilted to the side as that velvet tongue darted out of his mouth to lick his lips contemplatively. "Who do you think? Who would be an inspiration to me, the spark of artistic brilliance? Who? Take a guess."

I shrugged, sarcastically. "Well, gee.. I don't know. The blond in your photo, perhaps? The infant she carried? '_They're only jealous because we're young and in love?' _ You tell me."

His arms dropped to his side in what seemed to be a frustrated defeat. "I wondered how much more you noticed while you were snooping."

"Oh, don't you play high and mighty with me. YOU secretly planted condoms all over my house. YOU've been watching me for three months. YOU've been awake all these nights, doing God knows what in my apartment while I've peacefully slumbered alone in my bed. Who knows what YOU've noticed while you were snooping?" I teased.

He put his hands up in defense, palms facing me innocently. "I've done nothing _dishonorable_, I assure you."

"Nor have I. I just think I deserve some answers - that's all. After all you've put me through." And then my mood lightened. I could see the turmoil on his face, the struggle with his need for privacy and his apparent defiance of mine. He knew I deserved my answers. He knew I deserved whatever I wanted from him because he had simply snatched whatever he wanted from me.

Sensing the sudden uplift in attitude, he smiled and took a step closer to me. "And just _what _have I put you through?"

I hummed and wrapped my arms around his neck tenderly. "Several sleepless nights, loss of mental stability, fears of never putting your puzzle together."

He inched his hands around my waist to my back, where they began to playfully tug at the metal zipper holding my dress in place. "And is that bothersome to you? A tremendous pothole in the road of life?"

"I wouldn't say a tremendous pothole-" My dress slid down my body to my ankles, instantly exposing my matching black lingerie to his wicked stare, which both frightened and turned me on in an indescribable manner. I wanted to punch him and kiss him at the same time. "More like a minor irritation. Like a mosquito bite."

"Sleepless nights? Mental instability? Unsolvable puzzles? Sounds more like a vampire bite to me. Am I draining you of your very life force?" he whispered with a crooked little grin.

"On the contrary, I've never been more alive," I quickly replied, matching his teasing tone.

"Then you shouldn't mind the mystery, eh? All will be revealed in due course?"

"You don't find it terribly unfair that you know so much about me, and I know practically nothing of you? What if the tables were reversed?"

"Yet I learned everything I know from my own research, my own observations. You prefer to go directly ask the source. Seems like cheating to me. Besides - I wouldn't say you know nothing of me." With that, he began kissing down my neck, soft tender kisses that seemed to burn through my soul and send shivers down my spine at the same time. It wasn't long until those lips trailed over the top of my breasts and down the center of my stomach. Within seconds, his fingers were tucked under the thin straps of my underwear with all intentions of dragging it down over my legs.

_"Ain't no mountain high enough! Ain't no valley low enough! Ain't no river wide enough . . . to keep me from getting to YOOOUUU!" _

I have to admit, it was quite the interesting time for Alice to be calling me - and in all honesty, I had no intentions of answering. Edward's warm fingers trailed down the back of my thighs, dragging the fabric of my underwear with them.

"Shouldn't you get that?" he whispered, tilting his head to look up at me with those gorgeous, emerald eyes.

I gave him a silly smile and shrugged. "It's Alice. She deserves to wait."

He flashed me that sexy grin and bent my right leg at the knee to hoist it over his shoulder. That index and middle finger began circling my clit and my head rolled back in preparation for what was coming.

_"Ain't no mountain high enough! Ain't no valley low enough! Ain't no river wide enough . . . to keep me away from YOOOUUU!" _

UGH! She was calling again. She wouldn't do that unless it was important.

As much as she deserved to not reach me - as angry as I was with her - my overactive mind instantly jumped to the worst case scenario.

_What if she'd had a miscarriage?_

_What if she'd come home to a murdered Jasper?_

_What if his mother had finally kicked off?_

_What if something had happened to Jake, or Rose, or their parents?_

_What if - what if - what if_

My hands tangled in Edward's hair, forcing his head back from nipping at my hip bones. "I'm gonna have to answer this time, I'm afraid."

He licked his lips and nodded, completely understanding the need for my friend to come over sex, even if she had completely screwed me this evening. She never meant anything but the best, and I knew that. If I was in her shoes and I was throwing my guts up, I'm sure I would have wanted to go home as well. But I would have sent the limo back for her. She left me standing smack dab in the middle of a war zone, alone and shell shocked - she abandoned me.

And I knew I'd bring that up to her tomorrow.

"Hold that thought," I whispered before bending down to give him a small peck. I trudged over to my kitchen counter and fished the Blackberry out of my handbag. I took a few steps back to Edward, who was still on his knees giving me that "You look good enough to eat" look. I bit my bottom lip seductively and brought the phone to my ear. "What?" I snapped.

_"I know you're pissed at me -" _she started.

"Pissed is an understatement at this point. Is everything alright?" I hissed in returned.

_"Uhh . . . Sort of -" _Her voice was edgy, uncertain. Something _had _happened.

"Well, I have a beautiful man on his knees waiting for me, so if you don't mind -"

_"Is it Cullen?" _she urgently asked.

"What's it to you?" I smirked, taking yet a few more steps back to my gorgeous competitor.

_"He's stealing from you, Bella!" _she shouted, urgently.

"What?" I hissed.

_"I got an email from Vanderhausen."_

Edward's hands wrapped around my hips and jerked me back to him before hoisting that knee over his shoulder again. He didn't care Alice had called. This was _our _time, this was personal. Professional shit would have to wait - and he had no qualms in showing me just how serious he was about that. A few gentle kisses on my thigh led to a tender flick of my clit. If Alice wasn't on the phone, I would have moaned exorbitantly!

"What does it say?" I groaned. The licking continued as my free hand latched into those silky, bronze locks, practically digging into his scalp.

_"And I quote:_

_'Due to a more promising offer from one of your competitors, I am relinquishing my interest in Dyco Technologies. I wish it could have worked out __better. Please consider my preliminary contract null and void. You'll be receiving an official document to this effect Monday morning," _she explained, a concerned undertone radiating from the depths of her voice.

That warm mouth closed around my aching nub, forcing my fingers to grasp tighter in that head of hair. "That doesn't prove anything -"

_"Typically I would have waited until Monday to share this with you, or at least until tomorrow morning. But then I received an email from the head of security reiterating our extra security measures and the reason they were put into place."_

"What does that have to do with Van - our client?" I dare not speak his name this soon. Cullen didn't need to know what I was talking about.

_"His account was the one that was breached. Now, let me ask you this- do you think it's a coincidence that the day our company has a breach in security is the day Vanderhausen stops returning our calls?"_

I paused, my mouth gaping open into ginormous surprise. I couldn't believe it. I didn't want it to be true.

_"See, Bella! I knew it . . . he's scamming you," _Alice continued.

The realization hit me like a wrecking ball straight to the gut.

_No, no, no, no..._

But there was nothing in me that could deny it anymore. I knew it was true. It had to be true. It explained everything - why he was spying on me, why he brought his briefcase over every night, why he would stay awake after I'd fallen asleep - everything. I just couldn't believe it. Who else would know how to do it? Who else would have access to that kind of technology? Who else would have the will to do it? Only person I knew of.

_GOD-DAMNED-IT-MOTHER-FUCKING-BULLSHIT-HELL-IN-A-HAND-BASKET!_

And I wasn't just referring to the incredible talents of Mr. Cullen's tongue. Now I was faced with - quite possibly - the most extravagant internal conflict of my life. I wanted to stop him, to throw him out, to kick him in the nuts and stomp on his toes - much like I did when I was five and the big, bad bully at school stole my dolly. But my fingers only seemed to latch tighter into his hair. It was as if my mind was telling me something that my body simply wouldn't listen to.

_"Bella? Say something! Are you gonna kick him out? Stop fucking him! Seriously!"_

In the most calm, confident voice I could muster, I whispered, "Thank you, Alice. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

_"BELLA -"_

Click!

End of call. End of conversation. End of thought processes. End of the most amazing sexual relationship I'd had to date.

It killed me, but I knew it had to end. I threw my Blackberry on the sofa a few feet to my right before placing my hands on his ears and tilting his head to face me.

"Someone's got some explaining to do," I whispered, trying to keep my cool. It was too early to be irrational, to impromptu to blow up without being provoked. I didn't have any proof it was him who'd breached my security.

Still dressed in his tux, he stood and took off his jacket to throw it on the sofa by my phone. "What'd she say? Is everything alright?"

I took a deep breath to steady myself. "Would you like to explain Vanderhausen to me?" I asked, my hands drawing to my hips to keep my balance. I felt light-headed, I felt dizzy, as if I would puke or pass out any second. Tonight certainly wasn't shaping up the way I'd expected it to go.

He seemed confused, perturbed, like he was completely taken off guard. "It's business. It's got nothing to do with us," he managed to mutter in defense.

My jaw squared and one eyebrow perked in suspicion. "And how did you find out he was in the market?"

"He sought me out," Edward immediately responded.

_"Not good enough," _I thought to myself. How did he know to beat my deal? How did he know what I would have offered? What about the breach in security? I shook my head vigorously. "No he didn't," I murmured quietly, still holding on to any bit of calmness I could muster. I didn't want to make this bigger than it had to be. "Did you hack my computer, Edward?" No more beating around the bush. I had to know.

Edward seemed speechless, as if I'd slapped him in the face by even asking. "No! You know I would have never done that."

I continued. "Do I? I mean, he was perfectly happy with what I had to offer and yet Alice says he sent an email stating that he'd received a better offer from one of my competitors. I have only one competitor - major that is." I paused then, to let the words seep in. "How did you know what to offer him?"

Edward shook his head, seeming astonished that I was going to make such an ordeal out of this. "Bella, what does it matter? I didn't react like this when Dean -"

"But you should have." I muttered, instantly cutting him off. I knew at the time that his calm, cool reaction was bullshit, and perhaps he only acted like that because he knew _this_ was coming - and in knowing that, he would want to make sure I felt as though I was required to act just as calmly when the figurative shit ultimately hit the fan. "Just tell me the truth, Edward. Tell me what happened." Again, I could feel the rage rising in the back of my throat. Vile and turbulent, I wouldn't be able to keep it down much longer.

Edward shrugged and threw his hands over his head, nervously fiddling with that stray lock of hair. "He said he was shopping -"

I didn't buy that either. "He wouldn't have signed the prelims with me if he was still shopping around with you."

"You don't know that," he snorted, adding a little chuckle to the end of his sentence.

"I know him - I know men _like _him. It's not something he would have done." This was true. I may have only met Vanderhausen recently, but I'd grown up with pompous assholes, and I've become a master of reading them since I'd started working at Dyco. He was a proud man, a cautious man - a man who wouldn't commit to someone without knowing all the information up front. Cullen had done something - Cullen had found something that turned him off Dyco and onto CI. "What did you tell him? What did you offer him?"

"Why are you doing this? Why is it so important to you?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if I weren't screwing you and you weren't screwing me, I'm sure you would have been just as upset about this, but you wouldn't have confronted me about it. Why are you putting up such a battle? He's already signed the paperwork with CI, Bella. Just face it, you've lost this one." His voice rose in tempo and in pitch. He was getting frustrated with me and the feeling was mutual.

Lost . . . He said it like it was a game. Like my livelihood, my reputation, my world didn't rest on this . . . And that is what set me off. I allowed the vile rampage to begin, and the word vomit inched its way up the back of my throat. I couldn't even stop it once it'd gotten there. It was the competitive side of me that was taking over, the competitive side that heard "lost" and went into a frenzy. No, no, no . . . I don't lose. I never lose.

"_Lost? _I haven't _lost _anything," I started, with a snide undertone. "It doesn't matter if you stole him or not, I've still got the better business, the one making more money. You may have won the battle, but the war is far from over. All I want to know is what you said to Vanderhausen to get him to ditch me."

Edward shook his head and pursed his lips, staring at me with a piercing gaze. The whites of his eyes had never been so visible. "He said he didn't trust a woman in charge and I agreed with him. He told me the shitty price you gave him and I beat it by a few million. There - are you happy?" he snarled.

Well, I asked for it . . . and there it was . . . and I hated them both.

"_He _called _me, _Bella," Edward continued. "I have more respect for you than to steal and if _I _had hacked into your computer database, you wouldn't have known I was there." He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. "I would have thought you'd know that, that you would have thought better of me." he added, painfully. I was appalled, absolutely outraged. I went to say something else, but he cut me off before that. "Look, you said so yourself. You made a ton of money tonight and you have the better business, so what does it matter if one client -"

"He was MINE, Edward. MY client, MY money. And just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I can't run a company. Obviously I've been doing it better than your father for years!" I was beyond infuriated, beyond livid. I could feel my knees beginning to shake, my hands were growing sweaty, and any second I was liable to reach out and slug him just to make myself feel better.

His head tilted in aggravation as a cocky, snide laugh escaped those pouty lips. "Is this how tonight is going to go? Cheap shots and low blows?" he asked, readjusting his gaze to mine.

I was appalled. Standing in my silk bra, knee high tights and fuck me heels, I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes. "Excuse me?" Typical Bella thing to say when I was pissed.

"I came over here to fuck, Bella, not to fight with you. If this is how things are going to go, I'll take my business elsewhere."

And that was it. Not only was I someone he intended to steal from, I was now a nail-and-bail . . . I had too much self respect for that. I was no man's nail-and-bail. This was done and over with. He didn't want to argue - nor did I. "Well, if you even have somewhere else to take your business, I suppose that would be more worth your time." I turned on my heels and marched directly to my door, opening it and nodding my head toward the exit. "Get out."

He laughed - flat out laughed at me, which I found even more infuriating. He took a few more steps toward me and looked at the door. "I don't want to leave, Bella. But if I do, I don't think I'll be back." He spoke calmly and smoothly, as if silk were rolling right off his tongue.

"Get! Out!" No sooner had the words left my mouth than I regretted them. He was trying to intimidate me and he was succeeding. I really didn't want to think I'd never fuck him again, and I definitely didn't want to fight about this tonight. But the anger and disbelief was building up inside of me and now all I could see was red - in the figurative sense that I was blinded by anger. I'd lost it at the mere inclination that I didn't know what I was doing because I'd been born with tits, and I just didn't know what to think about him now. Until I figured that out, he had to leave.

And like the perfect counterpart that he was, he smirked and shook his head. "Bella - Don't do this." He knew I didn't want to - he knew I was just pissed. He read me like a damned book.

But I was still raging. "Then, tell me the truth, Edward," I pleaded. "Are you stealing from me?"

"No! Damn it, Bella! Why would you think -"

I slammed the door shut, preparing for an onslaught. Mother fucker didn't want to leave - then mother fucker had to deal with what was coming. The wrath of Isabella Marie Swan was about to be unleashed. "Maybe you got sloppy, maybe you left a door open when you were tromping your clumsy ass feet around in my database-"

"Have you ever known me to do something like that? Have I ever given you any reason to think I make mistakes?"

He had a certain point. My screen name held extra security questions every time I logged in, things that only I would know, and if someone tried to use it, my security team would pick up on their I.P. address instantly. Whoever hacked into it was someone who knew what they were doing, but had forgotten one or two little things when they left.

Just then, I eyed his briefcase on my kitchen counter. What was in _there_, I wonder? Perhaps a laptop? A networking device that allowed him to hack into my computer - thus hacking into my company's mainframe? Before he could say anything else, I marched to it and flipped the tabs open. He damn near flew across my apartment to stop me.

But it was too late, I was already laying eyes on its contents.

To say I was incorrect simply wouldn't be enough. I was DEAD wrong! Completely wrong! Edward wasn't hacking into anything, at least not tonight. Perhaps he might have a few days ago - perhaps not - I'd never know. I now laid eyes on one of Edward's deepest, darkest secrets.

The series of muse comments came to mind.

_"Friday night fucking the muse?"_

_"Who do you think? Who would be an inspiration to me, the spark of artistic brilliance?"_

I now gazed at the black notebook from the Mississippi Queen. It was closed, but I didn't need to open it to know what it contained. Three or four portraits lay on top of it. Beautiful sketches, masterpieces.

And they were of me.

With shaky hands, I picked one up and brought it closer to my face. It was - amazing, to say the least. The first was of me sleeping in his bed last night, but it was only half way complete. The thin linen fell in disarray over my naked body, only covering me from the waist down. My hair tangled across the soft pillows, only barely etched into the paper. One arm was across my stomach, the other above my head. Legs bent to either side with only my feet sticking out from under the sheets. Edward had managed to capture the way the light bounced off my breasts, lips, hair, nose, perfectly. I looked like I should be hanging on the wall of a museum somewhere.

_My God! _ Edward was brilliant. Comparable to Da Vinci, if that was even possible.

The second portrait was of me on the Sky Walk - and he had to have done this from memory. There was no way I would have missed his sketching me then. It was the way I must have looked when he rounded that corner and saw me standing there waiting for him. One hand on the railing, one leg bent casually behind me, the top half of my body turned to face him, and _those_ fucking shoes. Again, he made me look more radiant than I ever have in real life.

My jaw was gaping open in surprise. I was utterly flabbergasted, and I had no idea what to think or what to say or what to do. For the umpteenth time in two weeks, this man had rendered me completely speechless. And there was a moment when I still wanted to be mad at him, still wanted to punch and kick at him for the ruthless things he had said to me.

But this? Why . . . this was absolutely astonishing.

Before I could even ask him what to make of his talent - his secret - he took a few steps in my direction and snatched the paper out of my hand, shoving it violently back into his briefcase while shooting me a piercing glare.

He went to speak, and had I let him, I'm sure his words would have been angry and raging with filth. But my hand wrapped around his neck and pulled those lips to my mine before he could go any further. And he just melted like chocolate on a sunny day.

He turned me around and pressed my back against my door, instantly lifting my legs around his waist. His pants were around his ankles in a matter of seconds and that cock, that beautiful piece of hardening muscle, violently stretched its way inside of me. Something about the anger we both felt toward each other only made the anticipation of what was to happen that much more intense.

I clawed at his shoulders for support while his perfect teeth dug into the skin at the nape of my neck. I grunted and moaned and even burst into full blown screams. There was something so vulgar, so raw, so powerful that passed between us in that moment. Each thrust felt like it was going to break me in half - and I only wanted it angrier . . . deeper.

"God damn it, Edward. Harder!" I hissed into his shoulder.

"Beg!" he demanded in turn.

"Don't flatter yourself, just fucking do it," I whimpered, my nails scratching down the sides of his arms.

"You don't fucking deserve it," he roared, but only to be argumentative. The thrusting instantly became more rapid, more passionate. My ankles twisted behind his waist to bring him closer while he pushed with a frenzy that tripled what he had started with.

"YOU don't fucking deserve ME," I snarled in response, ripping open his shirt so that my skin could feel the heat of his. Buttons clinked against the floor, though the sound was lost on me. This was truly my favorite part of fucking - regardless of our emotional mindset going into it. The feel of his skin on mine was the equivalent to sticking my entire body in an electrical socket. Fireworks, I'll tell you . . . Fucking fireworks!

That seemed to set him off. He managed to hold my weight with one arm and twisted my wrists into his palm above my head. He held them there while he continued to stretch me with a power that he had never shown before. If there was an animal in Edward, it had definitely been uncaged tonight.

"I deserve every little moan that escapes those perfect fucking lips. Just like you deserve . . ." He surged into me with a deepening hunger, a more ferocious anger. ". . . every little fucking thing I give to you."

He was pissed that I had learned his secret and I was pissed he'd stolen a client, but let me just say this - Angry sex with Edward was quite possibly the best sex we'd ever had. I mean, I'd been spanked with a paddle, forced to masturbate while he watched, bent over the back of my couch, smothered with ice cream etc, etc, etc . . . But this . . .

This was mind blowing.

The rage we felt for one another in this exact moment intensified EVERYTHING! And I mean everything. The crazed way he looked at me was startling to the point of dangerous. The way his nails dug into my thigh to keep my body steady added the much needed pain to my roaring surge of misdirected pleasure. But the way his filthy words rolled off the tip of his tantalizing tongue was the icing on the cake. His was voice deep and fanatical, as if he lived to claim me but was infuriated with doing so.

"You feel so fucking good, it's not fair," he snarled.

"You love it, you adore it," I roared as his hips clashed harder into my pelvis.

"Not as much as you," he quickly added, just to throw my insult back in my face. "Your tight little pussy literally craves me, doesn't it? Admit it."

I wanted to say something in return, but his lips crashed into mine, smothering them with violent attention. "Fuck you," I hissed once he had pulled his head away. At this, he surged deeper and at a different angle, making a helpless yelp escape from the back of my throat. "Ahh . . . fuck me." I tilted my head back in desperation, hoping some form of reality would hit me upside the head to bring back to Earth. I was supposed to be mad at him, supposed to be pissed. Instead, I pulled him tighter to me, literally begging for him with every bone in my body. He was right . . . I fucking craved him, and at this moment, I hated that fact with the same amount of passion that I adored it.

Certainly normal people don't do this. Certainly normal people get pissed and storm off - but not us. Rage is an emotion, a powerful one at that. And we both felt it to such an extreme that the only way to purge it was to fuck it out of the other one. Is that even logical? Is it possible to be 'Making Rage' as opposed to 'Making Love'?" Man, if we aren't two peas in a fucking pod, eh?

To add more gasoline to the fire, I wasn't entirely sure how much of what was going on was due to my finding out his secret or to Dean's over-apparent interest in me. Surely Edward would have made this night ENTIRELY about me if he wanted to prove himself the better lover. In all honesty, there was no comparison - and I had no desire to learn otherwise. But I'm sure Edward would feel the need to establish his grounds, if indeed he felt that he hadn't already.

I didn't have time to think about it anymore. Edward leaned into my ear and latched onto the delicate flesh with his teeth, so hard that I knew I'd have imprints tomorrow morning. But I didn't seem to care at the time.

"Look down, Bella!" he hissed.

I sheepishly did as he asked and gazed at the connection our bodies formed.

"Do you see that? That's what it fucking looks like when I take you - when you take me - You fucking engulf me - consume me. Don't ever fucking forget that."

And that was it for me. My walls clenched down on his shaft, my nails dug into his palm still holding my hands above my head, and I screamed in pure fucking ecstasy. Edward moaned, dug harder into my thigh and pressed deeper inside for the last time. He had reached his own climax as well.

After a few seconds of panting and breathing down everything that had just happened, I managed to meet his gaze once more. He slowly unclasped my hands and put me back down on my feet. Both of us were shocked, surprised, and dumbfounded. I had nothing to say to him.

"Get out," I whispered, merely inches from his perfect, pouty lips.

"Gladly," he replied. He adjusted his pants, grabbed his briefcase and out the door he went.

I stood motionless for what seemed like an eternity, just lost in my own thoughts - lost in what all of this could mean. Aside from Vanderhausen, because that was another situation entirely, Edward had been sketching me in his spare time, and this is perhaps the reason he never really fell asleep when I did. It appeared he had a preference for capturing me when I was already away in dream land, which seemed reasonable. I was the most peaceful in that state.

I ran my hands over my hair, clawing at my tangled barrette, and fell to the floor in utter internal mayhem. Deep down, I knew what this really meant, what the secret underlying concern should be. Edward Cullen . . . chief executive officer for Cullen Incorporated . . . my number one enemy and foe . . . abso-fucking-lutely adored me. It probably wouldn't be ludicrous to say he worshipped the god damned ground I walked on; his own personal Jesus.

I owned this man . . . in just about every way a woman could own a man emotionally and physically.

And it scared the living shit out of me.

I decided I needed some time away from him, some time to think things through. It had been too much too quick. First he watches me for three months, then he steals my client, and now he draws me? As I stood to make my way to the comfort of my bed, I closed all the curtains in my living room. If I wasn't going to see him, he had no business seeing me. Turning on my heels, I caught sight of the delicate black fabric draped over the back of my sofa. He had left his jacket here.

I shook my head in desperation, snatching it into my arms and taking a deep breath. God, he smelled so good - delicious to the point of ridiculous.

After closing the curtains in my bedroom, I tucked under my down comforter and clutched to his jacket for fear that I'd never smell that scent in person again.

**A/N: Be sure to check out my blog, link on my profile. Thanks for reading.  
**


	17. Pygmalion and Galatea

**A/N: ****So, the songs for this chapter are "I Put A Spell on You," by Marilyn Manson, and "I Get Off," by Halestorm, both available on youtube. Please leave some love. Oh yeah, click on this link for a picture of Bellas dress:**

http:/i65 (dot) photobucket (dot) com/albums/h236/JDoyle120/fw09_wrtw_25m_001_full (dot) jpg

_Chapter 17  
Pygmalion & Galatea_

I awoke the next morning feeling awkward and strange about how things were handled the night before. He'd infuriated me, not only with the "woman can't run a business" bit, but also with the "Cullen won, Swan lost" nonsense. I hadn't lost. In fact, I was far from losing. Once the checks, bids and investments from Dean's banquet were counted, I'd be so far ahead of him, he wouldn't know what to do with himself. He might have to grovel at my feet and beg for mercy.

The thought made me laugh.

But on the other hand - those drawings startled me and completely took me off guard. Who the fuck does that? And why wouldn't he tell me about it? Is he obsessed with me? What a weirdo-

_"Way to go, hypocrite,"_ I instantly thought. To say he was weird because he was obsessed with me was hypocrisy in its finest. My every waking moment seemed consumed with him, every thought drenched in his mystery. If I had any artistic talent whatsoever, my bloody loft would be full of portraits of him.

He just seemed such a contradiction. One second, he's on his knees and begging to taste me, the next he's telling me I don't know how to run a business because I was born with two X chromosomes instead of one. And just to add that little cherry right on top of the ice-cream-fuckery that was our relationship, I knew now that he spent his free time drawing me. Not only drew me, but captured a radiance that not even I had seen in myself. He must have been doing that for a while. To simply sketch the way I looked standing on that sky walk from memory meant he was familiar with the lines of my face, the shape of my back, the curve of my hips. And then _those_ shoes . . . he still had leftie somewhere in his possession.

Wondering if I'd ever get it back, I smiled and stretched my hands over my head. I rolled over and caught sight of his jacket crumpled and mashed to the far left of my king sized bed.

I'd forgotten all about that. In his haste to get out last night, he left a piece of him here.

Hmmm . . . _Ransom_.

If he wants his jacket back, he'll need to return my shoe.

After throwing a robe around my shoulders, I stumbled out of my room and made my way down to the kitchen to pour myself some coffee. I made it two steps down the stairs before I heard that distinctive ring tone.

_Ain't no mountain high enough . . . Ain't no valley low enough . . . Ain't no river wide enough to keep me from getting to youuuu . . ._

Damn it. It was way too early to start this mess with Alice, but I knew it had to come eventually. I wondered how many times she'd called me already. Sighing, I took a deep breath and crossed the room to my cellphone, still lopped on the couch where I had thrown it last night.

"Yes, dear?" I answered in monotone. I wasn't sure how I felt about Alice just yet. Yeah, she'd left me at Dean's, but then she'd redeemed herself by calling me when it was most important. She must have thought I was okay with Dean, that I was a big girl and could handle myself. But she always had my back - always - which is why she called me so urgently last night to tell me about Vanderhausen and Cullen.

_"I'm so sorry, Bella. You have to know how sorry I am. I just got so sick - I almost threw up on Mr. Dean himself,"_ Alice anxiously started. She barely stopped to breath between sentences. _"I know I should have sent the limo back for you, but the driver was saying how he only gets his daughter on certain days and he couldn't change the time because it's court ordered and I know I should have said that wasn't our problem, but I just felt so bad for him -"_

"Whoa, Alice. Calm down." She was rambling. Poor girl. She must feel really bad. I debated giving her a lecture, but if this tirade was any indication, she's probably already done that for me. I'm sure she had been stewing about it since we got off the phone last night. "It's okay. You're forgiven."

_"Oh, thank you, Bella. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I take it you got home okay?"_ she replied, sounding more than relieved as she changed the subject.

"Dean took me home," I answered with a short sigh under my breath.

_"Ouuuhhh. How did that go?"_ She sounded like she wasn't sure if she should be excited or disturbed.

"Awkwardly." It was the best way I could put it. I didn't want to get into a ton of detail with her. She'd probably just over analyze and confuse me even more than I was already.

_"Well, I just wanted you to know that I was sorry for everything and I hoped you'd forgive me. Moving on, did you know that your face has been plastered on CNN, USA, and FOXNEWS all morning? Everyone's buzzing about what this could mean for the two companies,"_ Alice continued.

My mouth gaping into surprise, I pressed power on my television and clicked to CNN where, sure enough, they were talking about me. They had financial experts, relationship experts, big business experts, etc, etc, etc, blabbering on about MY life and MY company. Bleeding Christ! "Oh shit. Since when does our potiential relationship mean the companies will merge?"

_"Since he invested over two billion into Dyco Tech, that's when. Everyone's wondering why he would make such a huge bid in one company. It's like he's trying to buy Jenks out or something. Of course, if he buys Jenks out, then you'll need to report to the Schhhhexy Dean himself. He'd be closer to you than your momma. How's that make you feel?"_

"Fucker," was all I managed to get out of my mouth. I simply sighed and shook my head in defeat, pressing mute on my television just as quick. Eavesdroppers seldom hear good of themselves, and heaven forbid I listen to the blasphemy these buttheads were spewing all over my morning news. I didn't need to know what they were saying to know it was bullshit. All of it was bullshit.

Unless . . .

Unless I could make the news good - turn the bullshit into gold.

_"What are you going to do?"_ Alice asked as she crunched on something that sounded like cereal.

"I don't know, Alice. This could be good and this could be bad. Sure, it sucks having rumors fly around, especially when they aren't true. But, any attention is good attention, right?"

_"I suppose. I can assure you that everyone in the world now knows who you are and who Dyco Tech is,"_ Alice explained.

"See, that's a good thing, right? More talk means more money."

_"I just see more stress in your future, not money,"_ Alice retorted, attempting to be as supportive as possible.

"If I can get them to start wondering about who I am, instead of who I'm dating, that'll just bring more attention and more buyers to Dyco Tech." The more and more I talked about it, the more accustomed to this situation I became. What a good way to seek my revenge. If Cullen Inc was nipping at my heels now, they might be a huge leap behind Dyco Tech once this all blows over - once I've had a chance to speak publicly about my company's future. The more the world saw of my name, my company, my products, the more willing they'll be to invest.

_"Well, you're exceptionally bright eyed and bushy tailed this morning, considering what happened last night,"_ Alice continued. _"Did he do it? Did he confess?"_

"No, he said Vanderhausen came to him."

_"Oh? And how do you feel about that?"_

"Fuck 'em both. We don't need Vanderhausen, especially after the bids and investments from Dean's banquet. Alice, we made over ten million last night alone. That's three Vanderhausen accounts put together. Once I get back from the conventions, I won't have any free time to breath, let alone deal with those assholes. Let them do as they will, I no longer care." Some part of me might have been lying, but I knew that's what I needed to say in order to get through this. I needed to keep telling myself that.

_"So, are you done screwing around with Cullen?"_

"I - well - I haven't decided yet. I'm not sure whether I believe him or not."

_"Why would you believe him? Bells, I told you what Felix said, right?"_ Alice asked. Felix was our head of IT security.

"Lots of reasons, Alice - reasons I don't really want to get into right now."

I should have known she'd react this way. She made it painfully obvious that she preferred Dean over Cullen.

But I simply did not. There was nothing in me that believed he could make me feel the way Edward did. Even though last night was crazy and Cullen had said some pretty hurtful things, those words had sparked something inside of me that hadn't been provoked in eons. Typically, when men start spouting out bullshit like that, I'd shrug and kick them out. No big deal. They thought the way that they did, and there was nothing I could to do to change it. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But something about Edward's opinion in particular sparked this energy in me, an energy no one had ever been able to bring out. I fought with him - literally fought with him - about his thoughts and feelings. I hadn't cared that much about anyone's opinion in . . . well . . . ever. The thought of him stealing from me was like getting hit by a truck, and he just put that bitch in reverse and plowed me again with that "take my business elsewhere" comment.

But thoughts like those would have to wait. Alice was still expecting a response. "I'll hold a press conference when we get back from the conventions, just to clear the air. I hope nothing detrimental happens in the meantime."

_"That's a good idea, I guess. They did mention that representatives for both companies would make no comment about these allegations. Though, the picture of you two looking at each other when you came out of Richard's really makes it look like you adore him,"_ Alice continued.

"Yeah, well. That's my amazing pok-pok-poker face. How does it look?" I teased, referring to that song I'd heard on the radio by Lady Gaga.

_"Amazing, as usual. You always look amazing,"_ Alice joked. _"Well, I just wanted to tell you that I'm not moving from my couch today. I still feel like crap. So, you're off the hook to go shopping with me, though I expect a detailed explanation first thing Monday morning."_

"Yes, ma'am."

I laughed and told her I'd see her Monday before hanging up. It was good to know Alice and I were back on good terms, even if she did a pretty crappy thing. Hell, I'd probably have done the same thing in her situation.

I walked back to my kitchen and poured myself some coffee. While adding the creamer, my eye caught the curtain which was still hastily shoved together after last night's incident. I took a few sips of my drink and walked to the opposite side of my loft, contemplating pushing the coarse fabric to the side and taking a quick peek.

_What was he doing?  
Was he painting?  
Was he in his forbidden room?  
Was he humping some other broad?  
Taking his business elsewhere, perhaps?  
Maybe standing there, waiting for me to open my curtains?_

Curiosity almost overwhelmed me. _Almost._

Before I had a chance to slide one linen to the side, there was a violent knock at my door. I jumped and damn near spilled my coffee down the front of my robe. After gently placing it on the table to my right, I walked to the door and reached out to turn the handle. Upon looking through the peephole, I instantly withdrew my hand to my side and gasped.

_What the hell is he doing here?_

Arms wrapped behind his back, Edward stood in the hallway, dressed in jeans and a dark blue teeshirt, smiling innocently at my door. He must have heard my footsteps as I walked through the loft.

I should be mad at him, right? I'm supposed to be angry as all hell. But then there was that whole drawing thing that made me feel like I should be sprawled across a couch on the Titanic. There was no doubt that Jack loved, adored, admired his Rose - and I was sure Edward bestowed that same affection upon me. How could I be mad at him for that? How could I be mad at him for anything after that?

_You jump, I jump, mother fucker._

I sighed and took in his appearance once more, attempting to determine just what my mood should be when I did ultimately open this door. He was relaxed, confident, collected. And, damn, I loved it when he dressed down like that. Those jeans just made me wish I could squeeze his ass all day. Hm-hm-hm . . . Simply delicious.

I debated what I should do. I could open it, but I didn't want him to think he'd won, and I definitely did not want to apologize to him just yet. Certainly I had some things to say sorry for, especially if he in fact was NOT the person who hacked into the database. I know I'd made a big scene out of nothing if Vanderhausen had really gone to him. I now found myself in a conundrum - and it fucking sucked!

Again, I felt like I wanted to punch him and kiss him at the same time.

_Mad, Bella. Supposed to be mad._

"I can hear you breathing," he yelled from the other side of my wooden entrance. "Just open it, Bella. We have to talk."

"About what?" I replied, cracking my knuckles in nervous response.

"About last night."

"What about it?" I remained very still, unable to find the courage to face him.

"Will you just open the door?" he snapped. I could literally feel the irritation in his voice.

"No," I quickly replied.

"Why not?" he asked with a chuckle.

"I'm not sure if I'm still mad at you."

"Well, if you're not sure, there must be some part of you that thinks you shouldn't be," he reasoned. I must admit, he had a convincing argument.

But, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. If I had overreacted, then my cheeks would be flushed with embarrassment. If I hadn't, then there was no bone in my body that wanted to open my door for him ever again. "Yes, but I don't know how big that part is," I managed to utter. Anxiety crept up my spine, causing me to shiver slightly in response.

"Bella, just open the damned door."

"Not until you tell me why you're here."

He sighed loudly and rustled some papers. "New Love Blossoms Amidst Corporate America. Isabella Swan, Chief Executive Officer for _Dyco Technologies,_ was seen leaving _Richard's Convention Center_ late last night with none other than William Dean, the multi-billionaire investor and owner of _Dean Enterprises._ What could this spell for the companies? What could this mean for their associates?'

'"Well, I think it's beautiful. It's about time Dean settled down with someone his own IQ,' said Irene Landis, Finance Director for _Hydman Pharmecuticals._ 'She's certainly the right woman to keep him in line.' While the majority of those interviewed share her sentiments, a few in attendance quoted their public displays of affection as 'offensive' or even 'outlandish.'"

I should have expected this. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, what's that got to do with us?" I huffed through the door.

Nothing in reply but a laugh. A simple laugh that provoked me to be even more frustrated with him. I sighed, rolled my eyes and gave in. I turned the knob on the door and swung it open halfway, using my body to keep the majority of my loft hidden from his view.

"Well, there you are. Morning, gorgeous." He smirked, eyeing me from head to toe. I wasn't sure what he saw that made him smile so big, because it was extremely evident that I just rolled out of bed.

"Who's telling lies, now?" I hissed, snatching the newspaper out of his hands and bringing it into view. _USA Today._ Great! Another wonderful, respectful newspaper falls victim to Hollywood gossip. I suppose I'll need to cancel my subscription now. "Oh Man," I whined. "USA Today, too? For shame!" I playfully scolded.

"I take it you're not happy about this?" Edward asked, raising an eyebrow in response.

"Any publicity is good publicity, I guess. This isn't too bad. But I can't tell you how irritating it is to know that my supposed relationships are front page news."

"Welcome to the lime light, love. It's one hell of a ride," Edward teased.

"I don't see anything about your relationships in here."

"That's because all my relationships are secret." He gave me a wink and leaned against the jamb of my door with his elbow and a shit eating grin plastered across his face. "I think you'll want to call a Mr. Stewart at _Atlas Global Positioning._ He doesn't think too highly of you two."

I briefly continued the article in my head. _"The way they stayed together after the banquet, the way she could barely tear herself away from him all night, the way she barely spoke to anyone else, it was all unprofessional and unnecessary. She can have her way with him in private, but those two need to put personal matters aside for professional events such as these," cried Heath Stewart, marketing exec for Atlas Global Positioning. Whatever the affair means for their future, it can not be denied that Mr. Dean and Ms. Swan will be the merging of great minds, great companies, and great finances."_ Who the fuck was Heath Stewart? I didn't even remember meeting him last night.

"Can I come in?" Edward asked awkwardly, as if he was nervous to be around me. He casually ran his hand through the back of his hair and twisted that stray lock that always seemed to stick out at the most opportune time. He _was_ nervous.

Choosing to play on this anxiety, I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow. "Why?" I quickly rebutted.

"Well . . . why not?"

"Something about my not being able to run a company because I have tits, or perhaps you have some place better to take your business. Take your pick." I smirked, allowing just the slightest bit of my attitude to come forth.

He gave me a little smile and nodded his head. "Okay. You're still pissed?"

"I . . . I haven't decided yet."

He pinched his lips together, cracked a little grin and redirected his gaze to the floor momentarily. Once it was brought back to me, he raised one side of his mouth in a crooked grin. "Well in that case, I'll just take my jacket and go."

I snickered in my head, literally giggled to myself like a five year old. _Ransom._ I pulled the door a little closer to me and rested one hand on my door frame. "Well, it's - indisposed, at the moment. I'll be sure it gets back to you in a few days, perhaps after my shoe is returned." I couldn't risk him knowing I'd slept with it like a damned teddy bear last night. He'd take that bit of information and run with it. The next thing I knew, I'd be bent over some various piece of furniture, taking it like a champ and telling him how much I loved his smell.

_On second thought_ - That sounded like fun.

No, no, no. Mr. Cullen and I had unresolved issues - issues that would need to be handled before he laid another finger on me. And I definitely wanted my shoe back.

"Indisposed?" he quickly uttered. "Did my jacket have a better night than I did?"

"Indeed, we played scrabble until the wee morning hours," I teased.

"Hm . . . well, I expect you'll receive your shoe once my jacket has been dry cleaned and delivered to my place of residence."

"Perhaps you'll receive your jacket once my shoe is safely returned to the base of my closet with its mate," I retorted with the same attitude he'd shown me. After a moment where neither of us said anything, I looked up to him and smiled. "Will that be all, Mr. Cullen?"

He was silent for a few seconds, perhaps debating how much further he wanted to push me this morning. That feral desire returned to his eyes as he took in my appearance. Head tilted to the side, he took a few steps closer to me and placed his palms delicately on my shoulders. "One more thing, Ms. Swan. Perhaps you could do me a favor?" He ghosted those perfect fingers down either side of my arms and rested them on my hips, leaning in to press his lips against my ear. "Open your curtains."

I almost lost it. It was becoming increasingly harder to withstand him, to resist him. His smell consumed me and those lips moving so close to my face only brought back rapid flashes of the things they could do to me.

_"That's what it fucking looks like when I take you - when you take me."_

I was half tempted to wrap my hands around his neck and ravage those lips with the attention they deserved. And I almost did just that. But I couldn't. I knew I couldn't. I had to figure things out for myself. I had to be away from him for some amount of time, if only to sort through my own mind and thoughts and see what it was that I wanted. Sure, Edward had pissed me off with the things he said, but had he really meant them? Or were they said out of desperation? Did he really want to take his affections elsewhere? Or was that only said to twist the knife deeper into my gut?

"What do you have on under there?" he whispered, his hands trailing around my waist to the belt of my robe where they threatened to pull it undone.

"Stop that!" I shouted, pushing him away from me.

"Stop what?" he cooed innocently.

"Stop seducing me." I pulled the door a little closer to my body once again in preparation to shut it in his face. "I'm supposed to be pissed at you, Picasso! And until I figure out if I am or not, you need to stop doing things like that to me."

He wrapped a hand behind my neck, leaned in and planted his lips against mine, violently - as if he couldn't bear to be apart from them any longer. It was angry and passionate, instantly sending a jolt of electricity straight to my loins. When he pulled away, he rested his forehead against mine and whispered, "God, you're sexy when you get pissed. But what makes you think I'm not angry with you?" I went to say something, anything to get him to leave, but just as I parted my lips to speak, he began again. "Listen here, Galatea, you bring my jacket to my loft whenever you want. You'll get your damned shoe."

And that was it. He turned and walked away, leaving me standing in my doorway absolutely stunned and dumbfounded. "Yeah, I'll see ya later," I groaned sarcastically. He didn't even wave, just continued down the hall and turned at the corner. I was back in my loft before he even reached the stairwell.

I slammed the door behind me and pressed my back to the wall, running my hands over my face in confusion. What the hell was that? He said he thought I was sexy when I was pissed, but he was angry with me as well? What could he have to be pissed about? I didn't do anything unprompted; everything I said was completely warranted. Unless -

Unless he really didn't do it. Then, those things I said were a complete over reaction and I deserved his wrath. The only thing I could think was that he was upset because I'd pried into his briefcase, thus prying into his life more than he had ever anticipated or wanted.

I huffed in agitation and decided to get in the shower. As I dipped under the warm water, random thoughts crossed my mind.

Who was that blond in his photo?  
Could that be where he was taking his "business?"  
Why had he even come over at all this morning?  
Did he just want to assess my mood?  
Or was he really that antsy to get his jacket?  
Could he just be fucking with me?  
Should I start fucking with him?  
How bad does he want me to open my curtains?  
. . . And who the fuck was Galatea?

The following night, _our night_, came and went without any interruption from Mr. Cullen. I'd taken his jacket to the dry cleaner, as promised, but managed to stay away from him at all costs. Even though I knew I should be infuriated with him - angry, pissed, upset, agitated - when midnight hit on Sunday, I found myself feigning a knock on my door. Little did I know at the time, Sunday would only be the beginning. My body craved contact and was literally busting at the seams for someone to tend to that urge. Since my fuck buddy was off doing lord knows what, I ended up rummaging through the depths of my treasure chest in search of my rabbit.

I tried my damnedest to imagine someone else, anyone else. Brad Pitt, Gerald Butler, fuck, ANYONE! But it seemed that the harder I tried to block Edward out, the more prominent he became in my imagination. The saddest part about all this was that I found I couldn't get aroused until he showed up. Without him as my leading man, any imaginary sex I tried to have seemed strange or out of place - and I hated that fact most of all.

I was like a statue, stuck in time - stuck waiting for him - while everyone else pressed their eyes in on me. I was immobile, unable to move forward with my life.

That Sunday, I got frustrated. I threw the vibrator across the room in defeat and spent the majority of the night restless and irritated. I fell asleep thinking about how much I hated that man - hated him with almost an equal amount of passion that I adored him. It was ridiculous - _I_ was ridiculous. And the fact that I couldn't make up my mind as to how I felt about him was only adding more unnecessary stress to the situation. I wanted to hate him, wanted to end this, wanted to move away and change my name, but it seemed something inside me had other plans. My body wouldn't allow withdrawal, wouldn't let me forget, wouldn't stand for that. It was as if my mind was trying to take the logical path, and my soul - well - the rest of my body preferred the road less traveled by.

I'd pondered the idea of calling Dean several times, and even attempted a call to the source of my distress, himself. I gave it a half ring before losing my nerve and hanging up. He needed to come to me. He needed to realize the things he said were fucked up and I wouldn't be taken for granted.

Of course, I was sure I had some things to work out for myself. On Monday morning, I'd talked to my security manager and he said that the database was hacked by creating a new screen name with the same amount of power that mine held. Only six people in the company had access like that. Him, Jessica Stanley (Marketing), Marcus Volterra (Finance), Caius Rembrant (Sales), Rebecca O'Neill (Human Resources), and myself. The rest have only elementary access levels. Someone broke into one of our six accounts, they weren't sure which, and copied several client profiles before abruptly disconnecting. However, he did mention that it was HIGHLY unlikely that mine was breached. I had been set with the highest amount of security possible, and coming from a technology company, that meant a great deal.

It appeared I'd have some apologizing to do to him as well, that I owed him just as much as he owed me. On the other hand, I didn't threaten to cut down his manhood in the process of my over reaction the way he'd nicked my pride with his.

_"I'll just take my business elsewhere."  
"He said he didn't trust a woman in charge, and I agreed with him."_

Fuck, he probably said those things out of anger. He probably didn't mean them.

_Then why hadn't he apologized for them? Why hadn't he tried to contact me somehow?_

Why hadn't I contacted him?

The point of the matter was simple. I clearly didn't have the balls, and neither did he. This was a game of wits, and the first one to cave, lost. I wouldn't be the first. I simply couldn't.

Monday morning also marked the beginning of the "feeding frenzy," as I'd come to call it. Once arriving at my office, paparazzi's swarmed me, flashing their cameras in my face and shouting insane questions in my direction. I did the best I could to answer them on such short notice, but I wasn't exactly sure what would be the line between the right thing and the very wrong thing to say. After they rattled off questions about Dean and how we separated work from love and how long it had been going on and blah, blah, blah. I decided that I needed to meet with my legal team ASAP. As for the media, well, I refused to comment on any questions about _Dean Enterprises,_ but I would and could talk about the future of _Dyco Tech._ That seemed to set them off. It was like I was fresh meat, a new and interesting piece of flesh to devour, and they simply couldn't get enough.

Whatever information they originally intended to get out of me, I was damned determined to turn this in my favor and only allow them what I wanted them to have. A few minutes into the frenzy, I had them eating out of the palm of my hand. The attention had somehow managed to turn to the increasing gap between _Dyco Tech_ and _Cullen Inc._ Once the press picked up on that interesting information, they took it and ran with it. They seemed consumed with the competition between the two companies, several reporters pressing for interviews right then and there. But I simply didn't have the time. It was the last week of work before the conventions and there was too much to do, too much to arrange. All of this mess would have to wait until I got back.

After making my way through the crowd at the front of my building, I had the security personnel put up a rope surrounding our property. Clients and business associates should be able to come and go without interference from the media at my expense. No one deserved that sort of ambush coming into my faculty, nor would I stand for it. I was sort of hurdled into the fore-front position of media attention, but I could handle it. My hourly employees, my high profile clients, and my subsidiary representatives should not, nor would not, be asked to.

Embry Call, my Public Relations officer, called my office at least fifteen times in the first two hours I was even at work. He wanted to know exactly what he was to comment on and what needed to be kept under wraps. I told him to be honest. Tell any callers that the allegations about Dean and myself were absolutely false and he would comment no further. However, he'd be happy to talk about Dyco Tech if they were interested. Embry then called me back a few minutes later to say that the media had become more interested in this competition between Cullen Inc and Dyco Tech. What should he say about that? Should he trash talk Cullen to entice them? To which, I immediately said no, in fact we wouldn't even mention them any further. Simply promote our strengths.

Now that the focus was really on me, I had to figure out the best way to paint Dyco Tech as the technology company of the future. With all this media attention, I figured the conventions would be easy as pie.

A few hours into the day, my entire week following the conventions was booked solid. Not only with media interviews, but with possible investors who had seen me on the television and wanted to get behind my cause. Regardless of my personal relationships, I seemed like the kind of woman who knew what she was doing and could handle the stress of my position with grace and ease.

_Damn straight! Take that, Cullen, you prick. Up yours, Vanderhausen! What do you think of me now? Huh? Huh? Yeah, that's right. I fucking rock!_

Before we left on Monday, Alice and I scheduled the press conference for the day after the conventions, just to be sure that everything would be cleared up. I certainly didn't want to miss the opportunity for my time in the lime light. Even if the media was making up rumors, there's no reason why this situtation couldn't be twisted around to prove beneficial. They could ask questions about Dean all they wanted, but I was still going to put my company's name out there as much as possible.

This was it. This was my time to shine. This was my chance to make good on my argument.

_"Obviously, I've been doing it better than your father for years."_

And I meant every word. Now, I had the opportunity to prove it.

But once I'd gotten home that night, my frustrating situation was still there waiting for me. Sure, I could be distracted at work and even forget about it - about him - from time to time. But now . . . there was this blatant absence of him everywhere I looked. Fucking up against my window, fucking against my door, fucking on my dining room table, or the kitchen counter, and the bed. He was everywhere.

_We_ were everywhere.

I took a deep breath, said fuck it, and made some Chicken Caesar Salad for dinner. There's no use crying over spilled milk, right? It's already spilled. Best to just move on.

I watched a little Leno, toyed with the idea of opening my curtains, and once I'd decided against it, I took to packing my clothes for my ten day trek across America. We'd be jumping seasons so much, I'd be lucky not to catch a cold. First, we'd be heading to frigid Boston, (which is frigid no matter what time of year it is,) then down to humid Baltimore, and on to even more wretched Orlando. After that, the conventions took us to sweltering Houston and into the desert of Las Vegas before hitting my personal favorite, Los Angeles. And finally back home to New York. I was to plan for two days in each city. Overall, I'd be spending more than 30 hours in an air plane, and at least ten more in an airport. If I didn't catch a cold from the rapid change in climates, I'd catch it from some disease ridden child on the plane. Yuck!

After packing failed to hold my attention any longer, I again tried to bring the rabbit out to play. And as before, my thoughts were plagued by Edward Cullen. No matter who I tried to envision, that person always had a way of turning into the bastard. Brad Pitt seemed to morph into my bronze haired desire while Gerald Butler would simply disappear and Edward would walk out of a dark corner to take me.

And as before, I fell asleep anxious and overwhelmed with frustration.

Even in my dreams, I found no peace. Each night it was a different reunion with him. I'd see him across the fruit aisle in a grocery store, our eyes would meet, and the next second we were licking cherries and bananas off each other. Or it would be in my office. He'd press me up against that fucking glass that brought us together in the first place, or bend me over my desk and all my shit would crash to the ground. That damned fantasy haunted me.

Needless to say, I hardly slept well.

The Wednesday following our tiff, I finally gave into it. I allowed my dream man to turn into Edward and do his worst to me. The imaginary sex was satisfying to a certain degree, but paled in comparison to the real thing. I was beginning to think I was spoiled goods, that I'd never be the same with anyone else. I'd never be able to fucking come again, all because of that prick who'd claimed me, ravished me, spoiled me. Wednesday night was the hardest.

By Friday, I was so damned frustrated that I would have practically thrown myself at him had he simply shown up. I left the office early that day due to the fact that I'd be flying out to Boston at six am the next morning. The media frenzy surrounding Dean and I had finally subsided, but the focus remained on me. Sure, there were still suspicions as to our relationship, but the few interviews I had time to respond to tended to focus more on Dyco Tech and my role in the company's future. People wanted to know about Jenks, they wanted to know where I came from, how I rose to the top, and what advice I had to other girls working their way to my position.

_"Keep your eyes on the prize, your ears open & your chin squared. Don't be afraid to take a hit. It gives you the ammunition to hit harder. But when you do hit back, do it with grace, flair and style."_

It had been a week since our argument, and a week since I'd actually laid sight on him. Sure, I'd sneaked peeks in between meetings and before I'd go to bed at night, but that was nothing compared to having him in my presence. A week without him and I concluded that Rose was absolutely right. After a while, one's body gets addicted to the feeling of that specific person, that surge of ecstasy that one's bodies creates on its own. Regardless of what happened, regardless of what he said, I needed him - I craved him. That's got to mean something, right?

Christ, what the fuck could that mean? Was I falling in lo -

No.

No, no, no. That just wasn't a possibility. It simply could not be happening. I'd only been fucking him for three weeks, and even though I'd technically, sort of known him a lot longer than that, three weeks is definitely not enough time.

Right around seven on Friday night, I had finishing packing everything for my trip when there was a knock at my door. I hesitantly made my way through my foray and looked through the peephole. Who I saw there made a ginormous smile spread across my face.

I pulled my door open and Jake sauntered into my loft, flailing his hand around as he walked. "Bitch, who the fuck is Mr. William S. Dean and what happened to Paddle Stalker?" Apparently, Jake was headed to a club near my house and wanted to stop off for a little smoke break before hitting the dance floor. Of course, I'd entertain him. He looked amazing, decked out in a black suit with matching black shirt underneath that accented the color of his russet skin perfectly. It was times like these when I secretly wished Jake wasn't gay . . . he was just so beautiful and we got along so well.

"I take it you saw the news?" I reluctantly greeted upon answering the door.

"News? Honey, your face has been plastered on every magazine and news show all week. I read that shit in the New York Times like three days ago. What the fuck is going on?" Jake sat down on my couch and dropped his backpack to the floor next to him. He looked up at my disgruntled expression and opened his arms for a hug.

I sighed and trudged over to the empty spot next to him, instantly curling myself into Jake's ginormous arms. He worked out close to five million hours a day; it was like cuddling with marble. He rubbed my arms and ran a hand over my head. "Paddle stalker is apparently drawing me as well," I whined.

Jake's jaw dropped, but only for a second before his face got whimsical and confused. "Wait, wait, wait. Like Jack in _'Titantic'_ or that creepy kid in _'Wedding Crashers?'"_

I pursed my lips as I considered. "Maybe a little of both. I don't know. He snatched it out of my hands and shoved it back in his briefcase before I could get a good look at it."

"So then, what happened?"

I filled Jake in on the fight, how Alice had called me to tell me about Vanderhausen and most of what was exchanged between Edward and I. And I informed him that all of this happened a week ago, I'd yet to talk to him or even make eye contact with him. Then, there was that sex, that last romp that changed my life. If it wasn't for that, I'd know what my true feelings were - I'd get out before things got even more crazy. But to be so mad at someone and then have an experience like that - I mean, that's got to be some serious shit, isn't it?

"Well, I wouldn't go that far," Jake interjected, beginning to roll a joint on my coffee table. Marijuana was not something I typically dipped my toes in, but tonight it was almost necessary. My nerves were shot and the anxiety of this past week was threatening to bust out into a full blown attack any second. "How hot was the sex?"

"It was - amazing, Jake. I've NEVER had sex like that before - ever. I don't think sex like that exists in this realm of consciousness. We must have ascended to some higher plane or something," I concluded, shaking my head in confusion.

Jake burst into a huge fit of laughter. "Higher plane? You need to stop hanging around me so much. You're starting to sound like a shaman." He licked the rolling paper and handed the small cylinder to me followed by the lighter.

I sighed in complete disbelief that I was actually going to do this. I hadn't smoked pot in months. I lit it, inhaled and passed the thing to Jake, who was much more experienced with the herb than I was. It was a rare occasion when Jake wasn't on various different types of drugs. He mostly preferred to stick with pot, but on any given weekend you could find him going ape shit at the club. The question wouldn't be what Jake was on, but what wasn't he on. In fact, I'm sure that little back pack he had was filled to the brim with any and every substance he planned on ingesting this evening.

I coughed a couple of times and leaned against the back of my couch, letting the numbness consume me. I almost felt fuzzy, like my brain had grown little hairs and was squishing around in my skull. Squish, squish -

"Did you like it?" Jake asked, breaking me out of my trance.

"What?" I croaked, tilting my head up to look at him.

"The sex? Did you like it?" Jake reiterated, taking another long hit from the joint.

"It was fantastic," I sighed, rubbing my hands over my face.

"Then, forget all that other bullshit. He was just supposed to be a fuck buddy anyway, right?"

"But he's falling for me, Jay. What else could those drawings mean?" I demanded. I felt so lucky to have Jake in my life. He always had a different way of looking at things and bringing light to any situation. He was my personal sunshine and god bless him for that. I wasn't sure where I'd be or what I'd be doing right now if it wasn't for him.

Jake took another hit, blew the smoke out in little ringlets and then passed it to me again. "Uhh . . . he thinks you're gorgeous, retard! I don't think he'd continue fucking you if he thought otherwise."

"But to draw me like that?" I took one last hit, coughed my lungs up and then handed it back to Jake.

"I don't know, why didn't you ask him when he came over the next morning?"

I shrugged. "He hypnotized me, like he always does. Puts me right under his damned spell."

"Do you think he stole Vander-whats-his-nuts from you?"

"No," I solemnly answered, shaking my head a little. "My security department told me it was highly unlikely, which makes me feel even worse. I completely over reacted to the whole thing. I just . . . Ugh!" I pressed my head to Jakes chest and buried my face in embarrassment. "I don't know what to do."

Jake finished the joint by himself and wrapped his arm around me again. "Hmm . . . well, you already know you adore him, Bella. Why don't you try calling him or something?"

"But after that night, how could I continue to bring that on myself? Who knows what else he's hiding? What if he's a serial killer, or a sociopath?"

"Do you really think that, or are you just kidding yourself?" Jake asked, eyeing me incredulously. "Because . . . if you ask me, I think you're just kidding yourself. You don't want to let anyone in, least of all someone like him who could hurt you in more ways than you could count. You need to realize that _you_ are not _your parents,_ Bella. You never will be if you don't want to be."

I shrugged indifferently, completely allowing the pot to calm me down. "I suppose you're right." It didn't take more than two hits to get me right as rain.

"So you think he's falling for you, huh?" Jake inquired, raising an eyebrow in my direction.

"I think he fell for me a long time ago," I honestly responded.

"And are you falling for him?"

"It's - well - it's too early to tell," I muttered, shaking my head in defiance.

"Ohhhhh, that's horseshit and you know it," Jake joked, allowing a bright chuckle to escape his lips. "You've got yourself a little crush on him."

"I do not!" I protested with a girlish smile.

"Ohhh yes you do. You think he's pretty, you want to touch him, and love him, and have all his little babies," Jake sang, poking me in the side playfully.

I nudged him with my elbow and sat upright. "Okay, fine. I admit it, alright? The fucking man sets my soul on fire."

"Then, let . . . it . . . go!" Jake snapped. "Stop reeling about stupid shit. Tell him you're sorry for what you said, he'll say he's sorry as well. Then you guys can have make up sex and you'll be just fine until the next crisis erupts in your face."

"But what if -"

Jake instantly put his index finger to my lips to silence me. "Shhh . . . no what ifs. The only what if's that you should worry about are the simple ones - like what if it rains while you're wearing your $900 Gucci heels." I laughed and smacked Jake in the chest. "I'm serious though. If you spend your life worrying about the big what if's, you'll end up a shriveled old fag hag in a hut somewhere with fifty cats, afraid to come out for fear that the Big What-If will strike you dead once your moccasins hit the gravel."

At that thought, Jake and I both busted into hilarious laughter. It was definitely possible that would be me one day, and I could see the picture he was trying to paint. Gosh, he was right. I really couldn't spend my life fretting about shit like this. It would drive me crazy. Besides, right now, I had bigger fish to fry. The conventions started Sunday, the media refused to leave me alone and I was rapidly becoming the most successful woman in America - a title that came with certain obligations to appear in the press. With all of this already on top of my shoulders, worrying about Cullen would just pummel me.

I concluded that the only reason Edward was able to drive me as crazy as he did was that there was some little part of me, somewhere deep and dormant, that DID have somewhat amorous feelings for him. I could imagine a life together, I could see the children we might have and the house with the white picket fence enclosing a basset hound named Skip. It theoretically _could_ happen . . . and I might even want it to . . . maybe.

The point was that, even if I refused to admit I was falling for him, I could see myself eventually settling down with him . . . which is more than I can say of any man I've ever been with. Too concerned with their flaws, I could never see past the first date. And maybe that's what made Edward different. We'd never dated - we'd jumped right to the sex. Good and bad, I suppose. Good because - well - damned if that man wasn't capable of making my toes curl in twenty different directions. Bad because of the situation I now found myself in. I didn't know enough about him to make an educated decision as to what kind of man he was.

Edward Cullen - CEO of Cullen Incorporated, born June 20, 1980 to Esme and Carlisle Cullen, spent a great deal of time in Europe, has a cousin named Tanya, likes to draw and watch me in his spare time, has a few boats, perhaps had a brief affair with Laetita Casta - is a complete enigma.

I had spent my life studying men like him, learning how to bend them, twist them, shape them to my will - and everytime I think I have a handle on who _he_ is, something comes flying out of left field and hits me upside the head, leaving me as clueless as those damned cartoon characters with the stars spinning around them.

Pursing my lips, I crossed my arms and nestled further into my couch as Jake announced it was time for him to head to _Fuego_, a club one of his boy toys had just opened up a few weeks ago. Strictly VIP, strictly confidential. Only the somebodies who knew somebody were allowed in.

Jake knew Paul. Jake blew Paul. Jake was allowed in.

"What about me?" I asked innocently, hoping he'd invite me along. I flashed him a big smile and bounded off the couch after him.

He sighed and looked at my appearance, eyeing from head to toe and back up again. "You'll need a shower and a dress. Preferably one with a last name attached - if you know what I'm saying."

I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow at him. "You do realize your sister is my best friend, right?"

"Okay, fine," Jake groaned. "Get dressed, I'll meet you there. I've got one more errand to run before I show up. Be there at eight."

Lucky for me, _Fuego_ was only a couple of blocks from my loft and not too far to walk - it was supposed to be a nice night. Fuego also happened to be the only gay VIP lounge on this side of New York City. I was already packed for my trip and all set to go, so there wouldn't be anything left to do in the morning. That meant I could definitely swing a little bit of fun tonight. I would go, have a few drinks and stumble my ass back home by midnight. It's not like I was in danger of fucking up the remnants of our _arrangement,_ everyone else at the club would be more interested in him than me - except the ladies, but I had a feeling I could hold my own against them.

After shutting the door behind Jake, I turned toward my living room where my gaze naturally aligned with the curtains once more.

_Those perfect lips merely inches from my face. "Perhaps you could do me a favor . . . open your curtains."_

So damned tempting. I really wanted to; I really wanted this to blow over.

But no, no, no. He didn't deserve that much. Jake was right, I just needed to let things be. Whatever happens, happens. I needed to stick to that plan.

After I'd showered, my gaze fell again on the curtain in my bedroom. I was too weak, too willing and too eager to see him. Perhaps I'd let this go on long enough and was only torturing myself at this point.

Wrapped in a towel, I marched to the fine linens and pushed them to either side, taking a deep breath of relief at the freedom that action brought me. And there he was, sitting in his bedroom on the chair by his bed. He was reading a book with his head tilted to the side, resting on his index and middle finger. He stretched his long legs out in front of him and crossed the right over the left, only falling deeper into his train of thought. He seemed almost lost in the fiction he was absorbing.

_Now this, he did deserve._

I turned my back to the glass and dropped the towel around my feet, gently stepping over it to turn on the light next to my bed. Casually reaching into my dresser, I removed a pair of black pantyhose with lace at the top and walked to the edge of my mattress, placing one foot on its side. I slipped the hose over my toes, seductively up my leg and over my thigh, raking my inner hand a bit further than was necessary. I switched legs and did the same thing with my right, making sure to rub that inner palm over my thigh as before.

Before I moved on to the panties, I briefly shifted my gaze to the window, just to make sure he'd noticed my little peep show. He had stood and was in the process of walking over to his bookcase, where he carefully slid his book into its rightful spot among the other classics. Whether he had noticed what I was doing yet or not, I still wasn't sure. It was best just to continue on and hope he looks over before the grand finale.

I located the very expensive, yet barely-there underwear I'd planned on wearing tonight and stepped into them, guiding the fabric ever so softly up my legs. With my back to him, I rubbed my hands over the cloth covering my bum and looked over my shoulder at the full length mirror in the corner. Yup, they were just sexy enough to do the trick. They cost me a fortune, but hell, revenge is priceless. Again, my gaze shifted to the window.

He had just taken notice of me.

I smiled, gave a little wink and carried on.

There were still a thousand things I needed to accomplish before my night on the town. First of which being the dress. After careful consideration, I ultimately decided on my navy blue wrap around from Gucci that it had been altered to the point where wearing a bra wasn't necessary. It was beautiful and draped around me from the right to the left, clasping just under my left breast with the infamous Gucci logo. This dress was _the_ dress - the one that I only wore on nights when I wanted to feel a million times sexier than everyone else around me. God, it hugged me in all the right places, and made my boobs look fan-fucking-tastic. I gracefully clasped a big necklace around my neck and decided on straightening my hair.

Once that was tended to, I added a little makeup, just enough to make my eyes pop, but nothing superfluous. I was going to a gay club, but that didn't mean I needed to look like a drag queen. I just needed to look hot, and even though I wasn't planning on going home with anybody, I knew a little extra confidence would make my night that much better.

Laughing deviously to myself, I took another look over to the window. Sure enough, his attention was focused on me, and me alone. He had turned the chair in my direction and taken a seat, his long arms draped over either side lazily with his hands resting on his knees. He looked content, relaxed, as if prepared to watch a movie. This was going to work out perfectly.

I lay down on the end of my bed and fell back, closing my eyes to let my leading man take the stage.

We were propelled to that night on board the _Mississippi Queen._ Instead of guiding me downstairs to the bedroom, Edward simply threw me off my chair to the cool, wooden deck, intent on taking me right then and there. That feral look I'd come to worship returned to his eyes, the same one that both scared and excited me. He licked his lips and climbed on top of me, prying himself between my legs with his knees. I wrapped my arms around his neck, instantly devouring his lips with mine.

Slowly and gradually, I ghosted my hand over my breasts, my stomach, my hips, pretending if only for a second that they were his fingers dancing along my skin. In such a teasing manner, I pulled my dress to the side and dipped my hand under my panties, circling my clit a few times. I imagined they were his fingers, his lips, his eyes, effortlessly turning my body into his playground.

I couldn't help but think about Edward's gorgeous head in between my legs, nipping and licking at any available skin. Something about that tongue always set me off and just the thought of feeling of his warm mouth wrapped around any part of my anatomy was absolutely electrifying. But it had to be _his_. Picturing anyone else doing those things just felt - wrong. It felt like I was cheating, and my body simply repelled it.

I was in my own little world. A world where only Edward and I existed, a world where all the bullshit fell away and we could be together the way we wanted to, needed to be. I felt my body begin to throb with anticipation, my thighs threatening to shake right off my body. I ached to feel him on me.

Casually rolling my head to the side and opening my eyes, I caught a glimpse of Edward Cullen now standing at his window, dressed to the nines in a black suit. He was staring at me with the strangest mix of bewilderment and arousal. It was as if he was compelled to watch me, but conflicted as to the reason why. My eyes met his with an indescribable connection, causing a little half smile to spread across my face. I bit my bottom lip and plunged my fingers deeper inside of me, another moan bellowing from the back of my throat.

The way he objectified, yet admired me, was more enticing than anything I'd ever encountered. It wasn't until the incident on the _Mississippi Queen_ that I even realized I would enjoy it, and now that I knew I did, I longed for it with every ounce of my being. Yes, we'd had a fight, and yes we'd said some fucked up things to one another, but nothing satisfied me more than feeling him on me, whether that be his eyes or his body.

And right now, his attention focused solely on me. Those eyes, _his_ eyes, lived to linger on my skin alone. God, that made me feel so sexy, so wanted - in a way I'd never experienced before or with anyone else, save him alone. Just knowing that he was watching increased the pressure inside my body tenfold, to a point that was almost groundbreaking.

Those brilliant emerald irises taunted me. . . piercing, assaulting and malicious - yet I loved every second of it. I licked my lips temptingly and readjusted my gaze to his. Digging one breast out of my dress, I casually grazed my thumb over my pebbled nipple and arched my back in response, though I imagined his mouth was doing the trick. And, as if he could read my fucking mind, his delicious, velvet tongue darted out of his mouth and playfully licked those perfect lips. He was eye fucking me from head to toe, and he loved it.

Fuck, I loved it.

This had started out as revenge, a way to make him beg, but now that I was so intimately connected with him, I couldn't seem to stop myself. My pulse was racing, my legs began to shake, sweat glistened on my chest and an arrant thought of reapplying make up passed my mind - but I didn't seem to care. It was pure ecstasy to feel his gaze piercing me, ravishing me, enticing me once again.

I took in the way his pants hung over his legs, the way his button down grazed over his chiseled chest, the way his jacket detailed the perfect curve of his shoulders and arms, and all I wanted to do was rip it all off him. Perhaps in my fantasy, I would have done just that. But this was no longer a desperate dream sequence. It was like our eyes could have an entire conversation by themselves, and right now, they were fucking the shit out of each other. Edward _was_ fucking me - in a sense - and I was fucking him just as hard in return.

I rubbed and pushed and prodded my body, all the while my eyes locked on his as jolts of pure sin pulsed through my extremities. I refused to break contact, I simply couldn't. My body ached for him, yearned for him, and this was just too damned hot. As my fingers found my G-Spot and coaxed it into release, my muscles tightened, my other hand fisted a chunk of blanket, and my heart pounded ferociously in my chest. I knew I wouldn't last much longer.

Taking one last look at him literally pushed me over the edge. One of his hands disappeared into his pants, confirming my suspicion that he too couldn't resist me, couldn't stand to be away from me. He needed my body just as much as I needed his. My internal walls clamped down on my fingers and, just as I climaxed, I breathlessly whispered his name into nothingness. I'm sure he read my lips and knew I was over here doing this to provoke him - into what, I hadn't a clue.

When the panting subsided and I got a hold of myself, I rolled my head to face his loft once more. He was still stroking, still eye fucking me, still enamored. I wanted to stay and watch. I wanted to see him get off on me. I wanted to take him to the place he had so graciously taken me and relish in the fact that _I_ did that, _I_ brought him there.

_But . . ._

It was getting late and I needed to leave. I told Jake I'd meet him there at eight and the clock on my cellphone told me that unresolved sexual tension would just have to do. Time to go.

Smiling as I walked to the curtains, I bit my bottom lip and eye raped the shit out of him, from head to toe - every inch of him that I could take in. Those amazing emerald eyes, that long, lean body, those strong hands, that beautiful dick. Hm - it just wasn't fair. I blew him a kiss and grabbed one of the curtains, slowly pulling the linen closed. I peeked my head around the side of it, gave him one last smile and then disappeared.

Part of me felt bad for leaving him stranded, but the other part of me knew I'd pay for it later. He'd take his retaliation - and that only seemed to excite me more.

I washed my hands, grabbed my matching hand bag and headed for the door, making my way down the hallway to the elevator. As I waited patiently, I ran over what tonight would be like. Nothing like dancing with your gay best friend to knock the bullshit right out of any situation.

**A/N: Be sure to check out my blog. Link on my profile. Thanks for reading. :-) **


	18. Pygmalion and Galatea Redux

**A/N: ****The songs for this chapter are "Numb" by Portishead. (Seriously . . . Youtube this song. It's so sexy and powerful. Love this song for this chapter.) And "Baby Boy" by Beyonce and Sean Paul. (I know, I know.. circa 2003 . . . but it, too, is a sexy song and fits the end of the chapter well.) Chapter 17 & 18 were written together, hence the repeat title. ;-)  
**

_**Chapter 18**__**  
Pygmalion and Galatea Reduxf**_

Surprised by the lack of paparazzi, I exited my building and turned right to walk the few blocks to _Fuego. _There, I found Jake standing outside the lavish looking club, leaning against the cement gate and eye fucking every piece of high-end trash that walked in. Its exterior was lined from ground to ceiling with vibrant red tinted windows and fake vines wrapped around any available post. Aside from these two decorative accents, the three story club was completely painted black. Two ginormous bouncers stood outside by the roped off entrance with a list. Only those on the list were allowed in.

I walked up behind Jake and poked him in the ribs. "Are you ready to do this, dear?"

Jake turned around, his eyes widening with shock once he'd taken in my appearance. "Excellent pick, Bells. I'm so proud of you."

"I could say the same of you. I meant to tell you earlier, but I love your tux. Armani?"

"Of course," Jake teased, sticking out his arm for me to take. "Sales were excellent last month." He flashed me that brilliant white smile and, as I wrapped my hand around his bicep, he motioned for the bouncers to pull the rope aside.

We walked into the swank little place with luxurious little booths all around the edges and an illuminated bar directly in the middle. The theme was Fire, and that was apparent. The room was painted a cream color that seemed to reflect the red and yellow lights filling the atmosphere. Each dark mahogany table had a little candle burning brightly in the middle of it and the booth seats were made out of very comfortable white and red leather.

There were two levels. This one was the bar and lounge area. People could hang out, mingle and have a little drink without having to scream over the music. That led me to believe that the second floor was the dance area. I was sure it looked just like any other dance club, booths to either side and the huge expanse of bodies shoved together in the middle.

We made our way through the place, and I have to admit, I didn't recognize a soul there. Jake gestured to a circular booth in the back corner, big enough to seat four or five people. I went to sit down as Jake made his way up to Paul, who was absolutely adorable by the way. He was about the same height as Jake and just a little bit smaller in terms of muscle. They embraced in a hug at first, which escalated to a sweet kiss afterward.

As Jake pulled Paul back to our table, I was able to make out his face a little better, realizing he was the same man I'd seen at Jake's apartment last week. Dressed in white latex pants and a tie-dyed purple tank top, Paul skipped my direction with his hand wrapped around Jake's.

_Well, well, well. If Jake has gone monogamous, I'm gonna shit._

And sure enough, Jake introduced Paul as his boyfriend.

"I believe we've already met," Paul replied.

I laughed. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that by the way," I joked as I stood to shake his hand. He smirked at my hand, pushed it away and wrapped his arms around my shoulders.

"Thank you for coming, Bella," Paul cooed in my ear. "Did you sort that mess out with your boy toy?"

"Oh . . . Not really. Sort of the reason I'm here. Trying to forget, ya know?" I replied as I pulled back and went to sit down again.

"Oh, I know, honey. Believe me I know. Had my fair share of stupid men," Paul joked, lightly smacking Jake on the butt. "I'll be right back, I'm gonna go make you some drinkable amnesia." Paul shot me a wink and walked back to the bar. Jake was absolutely beaming when he scooted into the seat next to me. All those perfect, pearly whites stood out against the russet color of his dark skin and kind of reminded me of the Cheshire cat - but in a cute, adorable kind of way.

"Oh, I like him," I teased, tickling Jake in the ribs.

He winked and nodded his head in the direction Paul took off. "He's adorable, huh?"

"Oh absolutely," I gasped. "Where did you meet him?"

"Kickboxing classes. He's got a bit of an anger problem. Kickboxing helps him channel it," Jake explained.

"Hmm . . . like how much of an anger problem?" I asked, instantly worried about domestic abuse. I knew Jake was more than capable of handling himself, but it was always my worst nightmare to get _that _call about anyone I loved.

"Well, when he was in college, someone spray painted 'Fag' on his dorm room door," Jake started. My jaw dropped. Who would do such a thing? Why were people so hateful? "And when he found out who it was, he beat the kid's face in with a Louisville Slugger. Boy needed twelve surgeries to even look normal again. Paul did a few months in jail and got away with an assault charge. He's done well for himself despite it."

"Wow," I exclaimed. That was certainly one hell of a story. I shook my head in disbelief, but felt the slightest bit of pride for Paul. Perhaps the baseball bat was a little bit extreme, but people like that needed to be taught a lesson. I also found myself glad that Paul was able to find some sort of release in kickboxing. It was a bit surprising that Jake had met him there, being that I had no idea Jake was into that sort of thing. He was always the more "mellow-yoga-meditation" type. "What were you doing at kickboxing classes?" I asked, innocently.

"I aim to try everything once," he coyly explained.

I eyed him incredulously. "Right."

"What? You think I joined just to meet him?"

"Jake, you are not the kickboxing type."

"Oh shut up. Don't talk like you know me," Jake teased. I bust into laughter because I did know Jake, and he knew that. Instead of dwelling, Jake decided to move on. "Paul says he's toned down since then, but damn, the sex is rough - and you know how I like it rough. I like to tame them."

"Oh I know. I believe I unfortunately witnessed some of it when we all lived together in college," I joked, remembering the time I walked in on him whipping a little, blond submissive in our basement.

Jake hissed. "Unfortunately? Bitch, please. That shit's prime entertainment. You take that moment and cherish it."

"Oh God," I managed to mutter in between laughs and trying to catch my breath.

After Paul came back with a mighty fine concoction of something he called a jager-bomb, he scooted in the booth next to Jake and raised his glass in cheers. We laughed and carried on, telling each other silly stories, each one rivaling the one before it. It was three jager-bombs into the night when I noticed her. She was standing by the far wall on the other side of the lounge, staring at me skeptically. She brought her drink to her lips, took a sip and placed it back on the counter, all the while piercing me with her gaze.

_Tanya . . ._

. . . dressed to kill in a little black dress with stilettos.

I told Jake and Paul I'd be right back before standing to make my way over to her. As I approached, her gaze lifted to meet mine and she smiled. Not wholeheartedly or happily, just a simple, devious smile that seemed to make my skin crawl. I wasn't sure how I should approach her or what she'd say to me, only that her presence here meant one of two things. She was either a lesbian or she was sent to spy. My money was on the latter.

Either way, I wasn't sure what that stare meant. It wasn't necessarily "come hither", but it wasn't significantly hateful either.

"Hello, Ms. Cullen," I greeted once I had taken the stool next to her.

She turned my direction and sat as well. She eyed me from head to toe, slowly and distinctly, as if she was sizing me up. "It's Denali, and hi to you as well, Ms. Swan."

After neither of us said anything, I decided to speak up. "Do you come here often?" I joked, attempting to lighten the situation.

"That's not funny," she snarled.

"Okay." _Bitch. _"Is there something I can do for you?"

Her eyebrows perked in response. "Well, aren't you little miss conceited? Not everybody's after _you_ . . . sweetheart," she grabbed the bottom of my chin with one hand and gestured to the bar tender that she needed another drink with the other.

"Usually, I assume there's a reason for someone staring holes into my back," I explained.

She eyed me once more, from head to toe, and then returned her attention to her glass that the bartender was currently refilling. "I like your dress."

I laughed and turned away from the bar, unhooking my heels from the metal rail underneath. "Right. Well, have a good night, I guess. I hope you get lucky." I went to leave, but just as I did, she grabbed my arm and pulled me back. It wasn't rough or callous in nature, just enough to stop me from leaving her.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" she whispered softly next to my ear.

"Well, tonight, I'm getting drunk, tomorrow I'm getting on a plane to Boston -" I condescendingly replied, looking over my shoulder at her.

"I meant with Edward," she hissed.

My eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Why do you care so much?"

"You don't understand. My family, and my company are all I have. They go down, I go down. So I'll ask you again. Do you know what you're doing? Because if you don't, and this thing blows up in everybody's face, you'll have bigger problems than William Dean, I can assure you."

"And what makes you think I don't know what I'm doing?"

"I would have ended it weeks ago - right after it started. You are risking a great deal, carrying on like this. And now that the media's on your tail, oh honey, you're begging for this to be made public."

"I'm not begging for anything. Do me a favor, leave me alone, 'kay? And stop staring at me."

"He's wondering where you are right now," she started, her eyes boring into mine. "What should I tell him?" Tanya released her grasp on my arm and sat back down on the stool, tenderly nursing her new drink.

"Tell him whatever you want," I passively responded. I honestly didn't care anymore. If he wanted to come find me, well damn it, come find me motherfucker. But this question had struck a certain chord in me. I planted my hands on my hips and leaned my weight mostly on my left foot. "Did he send you here to find me, Tanya?"

"No, he'd never do anything like that," Tanya breathlessly uttered under a quick laugh. "And he didn't hack into your computer either, I can assure you."

"And what makes you think I'll take your word?" This came out a little bitchier than intended. I had meant it along the lines of _"give me a reason to trust you," _but it came out more like _"Bitch, I don't trust you a far as I can throw your dumb ass."_

She pursed her lips and turned to face me once more. "Honey, shit is going to hit the fan, and when it does, you're going to need as many allies as you can get. I like you. You're successful, powerful, and a woman who doesn't take anyone's shit. That's saying something. You've certainly done a number on my cousin. He's -" She smiled and looked away. "Well, he's changed." Then she took another sip of her drink and looked back to me. "But you must know this won't end well. Just how do you expect to get through the conventions together? And if the media gets wind of this -"

"Ms. Denali, I've certainly thought about that. I'm sure whatever we're doing will end before any of that happens, if it hasn't already."

"Hasn't already? What? You think a little rough and tumble is going to change things? Oh, _honey, _you're so naive, it's almost lovable," she chided, indulging in a good chuckle at my expense.

"_Naive? _Look, I came here to have a good time, not to get in a cat fight. I certainly don't need this," I snapped. I turned to walk away yet again only to have her start laughing harder.

"Oh, dear," Tanya started, busting any steam I had in my argument. "You have no idea, do you?" She ceased laughing and brought her hand to my shoulder in a comforting manner. "The man's infatuated with you, Ms. Swan. It's quite adorable, actually," she continued after ordering us both a shot of patron with lime.

When the bartender returned with our shots, Tanya licked the salt off the side of the glass, chugged the drink and reached for the lime. After her sour face returned to normal, she looked back up at me. "And if you were the CEO of _any_ other company, I'd be on board one hundred percent, as would my family. But let me assure you, my uncle has a distinctive taste in his mouth for the likes of you. Which is understandable, you know? You're at least, what? Twenty years his younger? And female, and attractive, and intelligent. That's a quadra-threat to his manhood and it gets him right in the nuts. Besides, Carlisle doesn't approve of his children lollying about with people he perceives as threats. Trust me, it will only end badly for you. But Edward, you see, that's what draws him to you." She pointed her finger in the air to accentuate her argument.

I scrunched my nose at the thought of how she knew all this. "How exactly - " I started.

"Come on, Ms. Swan. You live with someone all your life, you know their quirks, each and every one. Edward's not threatened by anything, and the few people that he does see as threats, well, he finds some way to win them over," Tanya started to explain. "_Except_ for you. He perceives you as a detriment, an annoyance . . . yet a counterpart, an equal. He's conflicted by you, intrigued by you, inspired by you, and now that he's had you, well, it's end game, sweetheart. You didn't stand a chance."

I shook my head in confusion. Just what the hell was she trying to tell me? "What the -"

"Edward is like a spider web, each little string in his history attaches to another, and another, and another. Ultimately, the effect is beautiful and alluring, but once you get stuck in the middle of it, it's only a matter of time before he crawls out of his hidey-hole and devours you alive. Then, he spits you back out and you're never the same again. We wouldn't want your new found reputation tarnished, now would we?"

"Are you suggesting Edward's intentions with me are less than honorable?"

Tanya laughed then and rolled her eyes my direction. "Are yours?"

And she had me. I wasn't sure what my intentions with him were, aside from being an extraordinary fuck. I wasn't even sure what to say in response. Alright, I'd had enough of this conversation. "Alright, what are you talking about, and what are you even doing here?"

Just then, a beautiful brunette woman walked up behind Tanya and pressed her palm to the back of that black gown on Tanya's body. "Hi, honey. How was your day?" the brunette cooed, softly.

Tanya turned her head to the woman and leaned up to kiss her. "It was okay," Tanya whispered. "Kate, this is Ms. Swan. Ms. Swan, this is my partner, Kate."

"Pleasure to meet you." I stuck out my hand and expected Kate to take it.

Instead, her bottom jaw fell open and her eyes widened. "Ms. Swan? As is Dyco Tech, Ms. Swan?"

"As far as I know," I jested, awkwardly repelling my arm to my lap in an attempt to hide my embarrassment.

"Christ, have you joined the other side? What are you doing here?" Kate exclaimed, causing a boisterous giggle to escape Tanya's crimson lips.

"I'm just here with my friend Jake," I explained, pointing over my shoulder to where Jake and Paul once sat. As I turned and looked, I'd realized that they had taken off somewhere, leaving me completely stranded with these two. I couldn't figure out exactly how I felt about that. Part of me wanted to learn more about Edward, the other wished Jake had come to rescue me.

As I was pondering that thought, Kate leaned down and whispered in Tanya's ear. I wasn't able to lip read much of it, but from what I could tell, Kate had asked Tanya, "know she's here?"

Tanya shook her head and readjusted her gaze to me. "Well, we're going to find the rest of our party. It's Kate's birthday."

"Oh, happy birthday," I replied as delicately as possible, still feeling a little uneasy about that conversation with Tanya.

"Yeah, another year gone by and all that shit," Kate griped. "Well, see you around." She exchanged a look with her partner that suggested they move on. Tanya shot me a wink, stood and walked toward the opening at the back of the club where a set of stairs paved the way to the upper level.

I sat alone for a few seconds, sipping away at my jager bomb while countless couples mingled around me, before deciding to head to the dance floor myself. I took a deep breath and climbed the steps, each one making the thump from upstairs reverberate deeper into my chest. My heart seemed to beat in time with the bass as I was effortlessly drawn into the frenzy erupting all around me. It was only ten o'clock, and already this place was packed to the brim. Bodies mashed together on the dance floor like a moving carpet, each little fiber firmly pressed to the next.

I made my way to the far end of the club, past the dance floor and right to the giant bar with the most beautiful male bartender I'd ever seen. If I wasn't already interested in someone else, I'd be begging for this guy to turn straight for just one night. As I waited for my turn at the bar, I took a look around, my eyes indiscriminately falling on a table to my right where Tanya and Kate were perched in a booth, indulging in some private conversation.

"My God, he manages to find the only bisexual piece of trash anywhere we go," Tanya grumbled, gesturing to a gorgeous man dancing a few feet away. I looked the direction she pointed and instantly recognized this man as Emmett, Edward's brother. He was dressed in a black suit with a blue button down underneath, accenting those beautiful green eyes he had obviously inherited from his mother as well. He seemed lost in the girl he was dancing with but eventually he looked toward their table, at which point I averted my gaze and looked away. Those eyes were terribly familiar, almost shameful to look at.

The line moved forward and once I'd gotten to the counter, the bushy blonde bartender turned to me and chomped on his gum. "What can I get for ya, suga'?"

"Vodka & Cranberry, make it a double" I groaned, almost overwhelmed with how alone I was beginning to feel. Jake had disappeared, Paul with him, and here I sit, with my fuck buddy / enemy's family to the right and a beautifully gay bartender right in front of me.

"Oh," the bartender cooed. "Someone's having a rough night. Let me get that for you."

"No, not really. Just having a few drinks, ya know?"

"Some silly girl got your tongue?" he asked, pouring my drink right on the other side of the bar.

I laughed a little and shook my head in response. "Not quite."

"Must be a man, then. Girl, tell me about it. Took home a gorgeous hunk of man a few nights ago, woke up alone, without a TV. How about that shit?" He scooted my glass across the bar and winked.

I smiled at his story, although I'm sure it wasn't meant as a comedy. "I'm fucking my enemy," I admitted, raising my glass in cheers.

"Hmm . . . well, here's to you, Juliet." He poured himself a shot, gave me a cheers and then chugged the liquid. "You try to cheer up, huh? That one's on the house." The bartender shot me a wink and moved to the next customer. I sighed, took a sip and redirected my gaze toward the dance floor. Well, I should have known the night would end up like this. Jake was such a fucking horn-ball, he wouldn't wait but five or ten minutes before whisking Paul off to his office or something. Who the hell knows where they went? I did sort of intrude on Jake's night . . . so fuck it, I should finish my drink and hit the dance floor.

I looked back to Tanya and Kate, who had since added Emmett and his girl to their table. The two women were turned toward him, whispering something into his ear. Emmett kept his eyes locked on me, _those _eyes, the gaze I loved to be a part of. Too bad these eyes weren't attached to the same man I'd come to enjoy so thoroughly.

Though, I must admit, Esme and Carlisle Cullen produced some fan-fucking-tastic spawn. Emmett rivaled his brother in beauty, but Edward was just a bit taller and less muscular. Emmett, it seemed, was built with the body of a heavy-weight.

I certainly had no desire to trade in one Cullen for another, or a Denali for that matter. I huffed and made my way through the crowd to an unoccupied booth on the other side of the dance floor. Bodies pulsed and the floor thumped while a distinctive blend of sex, sweat and alcohol filled the air.

I sat there wishing I could feel anything, wishing I didn't feel so numb, wishing I could be excited about my night out, wishing Edward - better not finish that sentence. And the drinking didn't help much either. If anything, the alcohol only made the apathy spread over my entire body. Here I was, at this beautiful club, with all these beautiful people, and I didn't feel anything about it. I didn't feel anything about anything. It all seemed so mundane.

After sipping down the majority of my drink, I rolled my eyes at my antisocial behavior and decided to dance. I didn't give a shit whether Jake was here or not. There were fifteen hundred other people in this room alone and I'm sure I could coax someone into dancing with me. I just needed to get the fuck over it already. Fuck Cullen, fuck Jake, fuck Alice, fuck 'em all.

I scooted out of the booth and sauntered over to the dance floor, allowing the jager and vodka to mingle in my head. Suddenly, I didn't feel as inhibited and I no longer cared what the Denali bitch had told me. I was going to dance, and I was going to forget about it all. I started swaying my hips to the beat, casually bobbing my body up and down with the rhythm. Strangers pressed, rubbed, swirled around me, welcoming my presence into their world, their dance.

Before I knew it, I had my back pressed against a handsome blond whose hands were content to travel the length of my spine, waist, hips, any skin available. I couldn't remember what he said his name was, but he'd do for the time being. Maybe he could bring some sort of life back to my presence. In front of me, my arms were flung around the neck of someone completely different. This man was tall with curly black hair and eyes that matched. They were certainly a dark shade of brown that I'd never seen before, even darker than mine. I'd forgotten his name as well, though I wasn't entirely sure I'd ever gotten it to begin with.

The three of us seemed to move in unison, each person squeezing me closer and closer to the other. Warm lips press to the nape of my neck, my shoulder, my bare back, all over my skin. I was lost in a whirlwind, not entirely sure where I was anymore or exactly who I was mingling with. Or maybe I was just lost.

I became mentally empty, every part of me consumed with what their fingers were doing and where they were headed. I had no thoughts, no reasons, no logic - nor did I care. I felt each and every stress from the week simply fall away.

It was something different, something unrestrained, something reckless. I am _never _reckless, so this . . . well, this was foolish beyond recognition. I had no idea who these men were or what their intentions were for me. But who the fuck cares, right? They were fillers, the turkey stuffing that managed to satiate the beast inside . . . if only for one night. And if they could make the feeling come back, then why the hell not, right?

Jake would ultimately come looking for me if it came to that, and I was still sober enough not to make a stupid decision like going home with them. But dancing . . . dancing was nothing serious. Even the kissing and groping only added to the innocent intentions I had with these men. You could touch me, even taste a little bit, but nothing further than that.

Laughing at my insane mental rambling, I threw my head back and raised my arms in the air. My eyes flitted open slightly, focusing on the ceiling, the upper cat walk, the flashing lights that threatened to blind me any second. And then it happened. Something hit me and my skin was suddenly on fire, like a live wire, like I'd been shocked to the core. Rolling my head to the side, I caught sight of a familiar figure on the upper platform.

Tall, lean, handsome, gorgeous smile. It took a moment before recognition finally caught up to me, but those eyes brought me right back to reality. It was my craving, my true desire, the source of my crawling skin. He was leaning over the rail, hands clasped together in front of him with one foot hitched on the metal bar. When my gaze caught his, the thin line of his lips seemed to curl into that stupid silly grin - the one that always turned me on so fucking much.

As if I'd been hit with a wake-up-wand, a thousand thoughts ran through my mind all at once.

_How long has he been here?_

_How much has he seen?_

_Who told him I was here?_

_Tanya, that bitch!_

_What was he thinking?_

_And why is he staring at me like that?_

_Did he think I'd be excited to see him?_

_Did he think I'd just drop everything and run up to him?_

What the fuck was I supposed to do?

I paused momentarily, attempting to assess the mood he was casting down on me. When I decided I no longer cared, I brought my hand to my lips, blew him a kiss and returned my attention to the black haired beauty grinding his pelvis into mine. During the course of my meeting eyes with Cullen, the two men had switched me around in their embrace. My right leg was now hitched over the hip of Black Hair while my back pressed against Blondie, who continued his gentle kisses down my neck and had begun to rake his hands over my stomach. Just as they were about to cup my breasts, a warm hand wrapped around my upper arm and pulled me from the dance floor.

I stumbled and collided with a familiar chest, instantly burrowing myself in that sweet, manly essence I'd come to adore. Nothing smelled more appealing or appetizing to me. It was a scent my body clung to and as soon as I was overwhelmed with it, a thousand memories pummeled me. The first night in the elevator, the _Mississippi Queen, _a paddle, my kitchen counter, my living room couch, and up against a door; they all hit me like a freight train. I couldn't help the audible moan that escaped my lips as soon as I felt those arms wrap around me again. It felt right - it felt real. I was like an ex-smoker, taking that first drag after years of pent up frustration at having quit.

I hadn't realized it, but Edward had pulled me over to a dark, quiet corner at the far end of the club. It was almost pitch black in our little nook and if someone was close by, I couldn't see them. I felt as though we were alone, like everyone in the club had simply fallen away. It was just him and I, those startling, emerald eyes burning holes through my soul.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Edward snarled, pressing one hand to the wall beside my head. He leaned into me, bringing his lips just a few inches from mine as he ghosted his index finger down my cheek.

"I'm dancing," I hissed in return, squaring my jaw to prepare for an onslaught. "What the fuck are you doing?"

His precious lips curled into the sexiest fucking smile I'd ever seen. "I was just watching your little show." And then I realized he wasn't trying to be sexy. He was pissed . . . really, really pissed. But, damn, he was so gorgeous when he was angry.

I pursed my lips and crossed my arms at him, becoming more heated than was really necessary. It was like there was this animal inside of me, this frightened and cowering beast that only came to life when he was around. For the past week, this animal had been frozen like a statue in a cage, solemnly dreaming of the days when it used to run free. Now that Edward was standing merely inches from me, that animal was clawing at my insides. It had been brought back to life with the mere idea that it could and would soon be set free again.

"Then why did you stop the entertainment? I was just gearing up for the climax," I teased, leaning back against the wall with my head to bring my pelvis closer to his.

"While I don't mind other people _looking _at my things, I take a strong stand against others _touching," _he explained. That soft, pink tongue darted out of his mouth to lick his lips, instantly making me wish that tongue was on various parts of my anatomy.

Hearing him lay claim to me only made that animal inside more pestilent, more ferocious. "Your things, huh? What gives you any right -"

"Have you ended our arrangement, Bella?" he interjected, cutting me off completely.

"Well - I suppose not -"

"Then, this -" He trailed a finger down my neck, my chest, over my breast and stomach to the opening in my dress between my legs. It was like his finger was a fire poker, leaving a burning trail of lust across my skin. I took a deep breath and leaned into his touch. " - is still my territory."

In my drunken state, I had taken too much of this to heart and decided to retaliate. "And what if I wanted them touching me, what if I craved the contact that much?"

His face froze, as if something terrible was on the tip of his tongue but he refused to say it. "Then, by all means, tell me it's over and go back to your threesome. I'm sure they'd just love to take advantage of your uninhibited state."

I looked over his shoulder to the spot I occupied not more than three minutes ago. Sure enough, the two men were interchanging kisses with each other and another girl they'd managed to rope into their midst.

He smiled and leaned into my ear, placing a gentle kiss on the skin he found there. His body fully pressed against me, causing a violent hiss to escape my lips. My entire being had literally been craving his contact all week and now that it was here, it sent shivers down my spine. "But if not, if you're still in this, then there's only one person who's going to take advantage of you tonight. And that is someone who's done it before. Your specific situation requires exquisite attention to detail, something I am more than qualified to provide."

I took a deep breath and ran my hands through my hair, trying to maintain my hold on reality. The flashing lights were confusing and the blare of the bass only made my head spin harder. Edward's smell swirled around me and his hands caressed my bare skin, his gaze never leaving mine. "What do you want from me, Edward Cullen?" I managed to murmur, averting my eyes to the ground.

"Nothing you aren't willing and eager to provide," he murmured. His index finger touched the bottom of my chin and forced my head upward so my eyes met his once more. "What do you want from me, Isabella Swan?"

"Why did you come here?" I hissed, preparing to attack any second.

"Why did you open your curtains tonight?" His body pressed harder against me, pushing me closer to the wall. I felt that distinctive bulge in his pants push into my lower stomach, the heat from his chest cascading into mine. It took every ounce of energy I had not to reach out and touch it, touch him, stroke every part of his body with my desperate fingers.

As much as I wanted to come up with some kind of witty excuse, as much as I wanted to put him in his place . . . God, I'd missed him. I'd missed his smell, his hair, his arms, his fingers, his body, everything. I couldn't lie to him, I couldn't dance around the truth any longer. "I needed to feel you on me . . ." I teased with a smile, fighting back a primal and erotic release of emotion that was just about to burst at the seams. " . . . I'm fucking spoiled goods." I raised my hands to his chest, playfully dancing my fingers over the buttons on his shirt.

His lips parted and a deep, hearty laugh fell from them, only adding more fuel to my craving. "Spoiled goods?"

"Why did you come here tonight?" I repeated, not satisfied with his change of subject.

"Uh uh, Ms. Swan. I asked you one first," he whispered against my lips. "What do you want from me?" His fingers twisted in mine and raised my hands above my head, holding them there as he slowly bought his face closer to mine.

"I don't want anyth -" I started, timidly meeting his gaze.

But Edward cut me off almost immediately. "Don't lie, Bella," he snarled, one hand sliding down my arm, gently over my waist to my hips where it latched on and pulled my pelvis toward his. My heart started pounding so hard, I could hear it echoing in my head. My breathing became rapid, my pulse raced . . . and god, he smelled so good. "First, you open your curtains and dress in front of me, just to make sure I know you're going somewhere. But, are you ever the tease. Because I have no clue where, right?" The hand on my hip ghosted over my stomach and down the front of my dress. He tucked it between my thighs and slowly dragged his nails across my skin to my expensive laced panties, where they froze in anticipation as butterflies swelled in my stomach. This was it, this was the moment.

"Then you shove your little fingers inside your pussy and moan _my_ name when you come?" His index finger playfully pulled the fabric to the side and plunged inside of me, causing a barely audible moan to fall out of my lips. I damn near collapsed, and if Edward's body wasn't pressed so close to mine, holding me up right, that's exactly what would have happened. "Like you knew I'd be there, knew I'd watch you, knew I'd eye fuck the shit out of you - because, let's face it, I fuck the shit out of you anyway. Don't tell me you don't want something from me." With that, his pulled his finger out of me and brought his lips centimeters from mine. "Now, what the fuck do you want?"

I was speechless, absolutely dumbfounded. I took a few hesitant breaths to calm my racing pulse, which was threatening to flat line any second. A wave of arousal washed over me, drowning me in a purely feral urge. After something like that, what exactly was I supposed to say? When nothing witty or intelligent came to mind, I muttered the first thing that managed to fall from my lips. "Make me feel alive."

And then his lips were on mine without another word spoken, ravaging them with a need, a yearning, that had been pent up over the course of the week. God he tasted so good, like peppermint and scotch and whiskey and one hundred percent man. This kiss was, quite literally, the best kiss I'd ever had. Of all the fairy tale kisses and mind blowing embraces we had shared, this blew them all away.

Sure, Edward had worked his magic on me several times, but I had never been deprived of it for so long. The feel of his body, his chest, his skin was damn near enough to make me come right on the spot. There was nothing that compared to the soft texture of his lips pressed to mine. The frozen animal statue had managed to bust through and now, it was planning on taking anything it wanted from him.

That bulge in his pants had escalated to standing at full attention, and, as he pressed his pelvis into me, that beautiful piece of muscle rubbed against my clit in such a tantalizing way. I had finally consumed that surge of electricity my body had longed for during this past week. He was so warm, so comfortable, so right. The way his fingers danced over my legs, the way he played my body like a damned piano, the way he smiled and lit up my life, it was all too overwhelming.

His fingers plunged inside of me again and the animal inside of me purred with pure joy. I was satisfied, the animal was satisfied.

I wanted to take it slower, I wanted to work my way back into his arms, but damn, I missed him so fucking much - I missed this so fucking much. It had only been a week that I'd been away from him, but it felt like an eternity. I had longed for this, begged for this, yet refused to give into it because I wouldn't be the one to lose. Well fuck losing! Everything in my body was telling me this was right, this was what I'd yearned to have.

As those talented fingers moved in and out of me, I couldn't help but pull away from his mouth to catch my breath. He was setting me on fire, literally causing my nerves to go fucking haywire. He pressed his lips to my ear once more, slowly extracting his fingers to circle my clit a few times. "That's why you put on that little show earlier, isn't it? Why you look like you haven't slept in a week, why you're out fucking around when you should be at home in bed? Bella, those were my fingers fucking you earlier tonight, weren't they?" And then his fingers surged inside of me once more.

I moaned in response. And God, he was so right. I had envisioned him up in my room, doing those things to me. I wanted it to be him.

"And my tongue on your breast?"

"Fuck, Edward. That was even you on the dance floor."

"I fucking knew it. How does it feel, Bella? Finally giving in to your craving?"

His fingers pushed on my G-Spot once more and I felt my internal walls clamp down on him. I was just about to come. I moaned and leaned in to press my lips to his. He returned my passion, violently pressing that perfect pouty skin against mine. My eyes squeezed shut, my fingernails dug into his palm and, with one final moan, I reached my orgasm. I saw stars buzzing around me, I heard white noise and every muscle in my body attached itself to him.

Once I had ridden out the course of my climax, Edward released my palms and pulled his fingers from inside of me, gently planting soft kisses on the left side of my neck. "Let's get out of here, yes?"

His fingers interlaced with mine and pulled me the opposite way of the exit. He insisted on ducking out behind our little nook and down a long hallway, toward the emergency doors. I followed him, naturally, and soon found myself on the second platform of the metal stairwell behind the building, overlooking the dark alley below. I placed my hands on the railing and leaned over to look down on the few people who had taken to the tight space for some privacy. There were at least ten people down there in various degrees of wanton passion. Some were just kissing, some were getting blown, and some had progressed into full out screwing. I let a small giggle escape my lips at the craziness below me.

Wrapping his arms around my waist, Edward pressed his body against my back and gently pressed his lips to my the side of my head.

"We're headed up," he whispered, grabbing my hands and twisting me around to face him. We walked up the next set of metal steps that emptied on to the roof of the club. I half expected it to be paved with gravel, but as I placed one foot in front of the other and made my way to the front of the building, I realized it was stone cold cement. He reached over and grabbed my hand, pulling my body against his once more.

It was quiet up there, just him and I and the pounding of our hearts. The muffled bass of the club below us seemed to make the ground thump, sending an exciting jolt through our feet everytime we walked. I smiled at him, gave him a little wink before taking in the sight around us. The club was only two or three stories tall, but its position in New York City gave the roof an absolutely awesome view. 'The city that never sleeps' was an appropriate nickname for this island. It was well after midnight and every light I could see twinkled like a star in the sky.

Edward soon wrapped his arms around me again and pushed my body against the waist high cement railing enclosing us on the roof. "We risked a great deal with that little stunt in there," he whispered, referring to our tryst in the corner.

I smiled and brushed a piece of hair behind my head. "You just couldn't wait to get your hands on me again, could you?"

"Hmm . . ." he hummed, twisting me around so that my lower stomach pressed against the cool cement ledge. His hands ghosted down my back and latched on to my hips, gently guiding my bum to the bulge in his pants that had yet to lose any stiffness. One palm stayed put while the other reached up my back to my shoulder and neck, leaving goosebumps in its wake. He grabbed a handful of hair and pulled my head back toward him. "Do you know how many times I thought about fucking your perfect little body this week?"

Almost in a growl, I managed to hiss, "Do you know how many times I fucked you in my office this week?"

His fingers dipped under the back of my dress, twisted around the lace holding my panties together and slowly pulled. They fluttered down my legs, leaving me open and vulnerable for anything he wanted to do to me. "Your office, huh? That can be arranged."

I heard the zipper of his pants and something switched in me. My heart jumped and my breathing hitched at the anticipation. I knew what was coming. I had craved what was coming for a week, and now that it was here, I almost couldn't stand the teasing anymore. I wanted him, all of him, anything he was willing to give me.

I could feel his cock slide in between my folds and I prayed he'd angle his hips down just the slightest bit. Instead, he leaned over my body and planted his lips directly by my ear. "But, Ms. Swan, it's not nice to cut people off halfway into a good peep show," he teased. His hand still clutching a fistful of hair, he yanked back harder so that our eyes met. "If you're going to put on a show, make sure your audience is satisfied."

And here it was. The retaliation that I knew was coming. Part of me felt ashamed. He was right, it was pretty fucked up to shut the blinds on him when he was just getting to the best part. But the other part of me, the more dominant side, was growing more excited as to what he planned to do about it. Certainly he couldn't let me get away with that, but he really couldn't walk away from me right now. If the rigidity of his cock was any indication, he was screaming for the release that only I could give him. Just as my body had been begging for the same thing all week. I meant what I said earlier, I was spoiled goods and I'd never be the same with anyone else ever again.

His warm palm rubbed over the my ass before violently ripping itself away. I groaned in its absence only to realize too late what was going to happen. His hand landed on my skin with a soft pop, causing a small yelp to escape my lips. I was prepared to take more of them, but he squared himself behind me and used his foot to push my feet further apart.

Before I could really react to him spanking me, he slipped that beautiful dick inside of me, stretching my insides with such a glorious mix of pain and pleasure. My back curled, my grip on the railing tightened and a sound escaped my lips that sounded like relief. It was as if a thirty ton weight had been lifted off my chest.

I needed this, I yearned for this.

And now that the moment had arrived, I utterly lost it! His body just felt so damn good pressed against mine, and damn, how I loved the feel of his cock inside of me. At this point, I knew exactly what I had been missing, exactly what this week of absence had provoked in him. I had perhaps unleashed a devil who was now in the process of claiming his vengeance. Edward's lips trailed over my shoulders to the nape of my neck before paying special attention to my ear lobe.

I wrapped a hand behind my head and twisted it in his thick, tousled locks, drawing his lips directly to mine. This new position caused him to slip inside of me at a different angle, completely ravishing my G-Spot. He released his grip on my hair, only to wrap it around the front of my dress and circle my clit. I hissed at his touch, a response he was not expecting. His touch became rough and frenzied, almost to an extreme. But, again, that subtle pain was nothing compared to the passion his body was sending into mine.

He pushed and pushed, deeper and harder, claiming me - taking me however he wanted it. It should be my luck that the way he wanted me was exactly the same way I wanted him. In this moment, I couldn't help but recognize just how shitty our situation really was. He was perfect for me, in every way. Our sex was abso-fucking-lutely mindblowing and our bodies communicated with each other in some sort of secret and silent language only they understood. But our mental connection was what I found most surprising. He just _got _me, in the same weird, twisted way that I just _got_ him. Any other woman would take this enigma of a man and commit him to a mental institution or something, at least get a restraining order to keep him away. But me . . . well . . . his eyes on me only made me feel sexier and more feminine. This supposed infatuation with me only drew me closer to him, made me want him that much more.

But he was my enemy. I wasn't supposed to feel like this about him. I wasn't supposed to enjoy his touch, his smell, his everything. I knew, in this moment, that I was royally fucked.

I looked down at all the people on the ground, none of which had any clue as to what was going on up here. I was being ravished, claimed, taken, fucked senseless, right out in the open, and no one was even paying attention. But if someone had the idea to look up, our cover would be completely blown. Something about that thought, something about the danger associated with it made my heart beat harder. I was loving it, loving every second.

Suddenly, he stopped, pulled out of me and twisted my hips around to face him. He grabbed me behind the legs and pushed my body onto the cement ledge, violently attacking my lips with his. "I want to see you, see your face. Now spread your fucking legs."

I bit my bottom and did as he asked, spreading my legs to wrap them around his waist. My ankles twisted behind him, hooking together on his lower back. When he passionately pushed back inside of me, I moaned and wrapped my arms around his neck. My fingers twisted in that gorgeous hair and pulled his head into my neck, where his lips were more than eager to grant my wish. He licked and nipped and kissed my sensitive skin, sending my nerves completely haywire.

"Is this what you wanted, Bella? Did you want me to fuck the shit out of you?" Edward whispered, plunging into me with his entire length.

I squealed and fell forward into him. "You have no fucking idea," I whimpered. "Is this why you came here tonight? You wanted to fuck me senseless?"

"Is it working?"

"Keep going," I moaned in between gasps for air.

He started breathing heavy, gasping for sweet oxygen to spread to his extremities. That warm breath crept down the front of my dress, sending shivers over the rest of my body. My legs quivered, my arms tightened and I knew I was close. Just as I was about to explode with a mind numbing orgasm, Edward adjusted his angle and plowed right into my G-Spot, sending me toppling over the edge. I panted and moaned and cursed, and damn it felt so fucking good.

It wasn't fair. It wasn't rational.

It didn't matter anymore.f

"Fuck, Bella," he snarled, apparently having reached his own climax as well. He held my body tightly to him, as if letting me go meant we would have to go another week without seeing each other. Of course, the conventions started tomorrow. We were about to spend twenty days together, where at any moment, we would be not more than five feet from each other.

Edward put me back on my feet, panting and gasping for air. Those soft, velvet lips gently caressed mine in a series of sweet, romantic kisses.

I had dreamed about this reunion countless times, but never did I imagine it would happen quite like this. The roof of a gay VIP lounge hardly seemed appropriate, but I found myself apathetic at the moment. He was here, he was wrapped around me, and I absolutely adored him.

He flashed that sexy, crooked smile fand suggested we head back to my loft. After we'd climbed down the emergency exit stairs, we walked around the corner to the main street that would take us back to my complex a few blocks up. The liquor I had consumed was finally catching up to me, and I found myself hysterical with laughter for some reason. Perhaps the post-sex chemicals running through my body mixed with the vodka to form some sort of concoction that made me manic. Call it what you will. I couldn't stop giggling.

Edward pulled my hand towards our complex, all the while I followed behind him laughing and chuckling at the random thoughts that coursed through my head.

_I held him in the palm of my hand._

_He lived and breathed for me._

_Him and his spidey-web._

_I was the center of it, the bulls-eye in his darts of life._

_And I loved it._

_I relished in it._

_He was mine, all mine._

_God, I'm a greedy bitch._

When I finally settled down, I realized we were already in the elevator of my complex. We had somehow managed to get passed the lobby and Mike at the receptionist desk. I now stood at the back of the square metal enclosure, leaning against the railing with Edward to my right.

I looked up at him and smiled when his gaze finally met mine. He leaned down and planted a little kiss on my lips, gently cradling my head with his strong fingers. When the doors opened for my floor, he grabbed my hands and backed out of the elevator, slowly leading me down the hall and around the corner to my loft. Once there, he grabbed my handbag, found my keys and unlocked the door for us to enter. I went in first, casually stumbling my way through the foray to my living room where I plopped down on my couch and stared at the ceiling.

Edward slowly walked in behind me, placed my hand bag and my keys on the kitchen counter before kneeling between my legs on the floor. "What time is your flight tomorrow?"

"Six am. I have to meet Alice at four," I managed to utter, although I'm not sure how much of that was really coherent. I lifted my head and looked down at him with a stupid grin plastered across my face. I couldn't believe he was here, couldn't believe everything had just blown over the way I wanted.

"So, you only have three hours to sleep? Nice," Edward groaned as he grabbed my hands and pulled me to my feet.

"Sleep? That's not what I was planning on doing with our time," I teased. He smirked and pulled me through my space, up the stairs and into my bedroom. He gently laid me down on my bed and unzipped my heels before carefully removing them from my feet. I heard them plop down on the ground before I felt his weight in the bed to my left. I rolled toward him and wrapped myself in his jacket, instantly nuzzling to that scent I'd missed so much.

Warm lips pressed to my forehead before he groaned and rolled me onto my back. "Bella," he started before climbing on top of me. He pressed his legs in between mine and balanced his weight with his elbows on either side of my head. "What did you mean when you said you were spoiled goods?"

I started giggling like a five year old. Nothing like Vodka and Jager to get you on a drunken laughing fit. "You think on that for a little while," I joked, giggling a little harder. I pushed him off me, only to roll over on top of him. "Edward," I started. "Who the fuck is Galatea?"

He started laughing as he crossed his arms under his head. "Who?"

"Before you left last week, you called me Galatea. Who the fuck is Galatea?"

He sighed and brought one hand to my cheek. "Google it."

"Fuck you," I breathlessly whispered, my eyes instinctively shutting. It was late, I was drunk, and I was tired. I nuzzled my head into his neck while his fingers traced outlines down my spine. His sweet, manly scent washed over me and the pounding of his heart seemed to sing me to sleep. And that was the last thing I remember.

**A/N: Be sure to check out my blog. Link is on my profile. Thanks for reading. **


	19. Planes, Press and Propaganda

**A/N: Well, here it is everyone! And I just have to say that I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for the continued support and encouragement. You guys are awesome readers, and I'm honored that you're loving the story thus far. If you left a review last chapter, then you already know that we are almost to the climax of the story. Some things are going to get crazy. You know I don't do angst, but I'm not opposed to fluff. I promise some of that before the shit gets haywire in here. **

**The songs for this chapter are "Paper Planes," by MIA, and "Coming Undone" by Korn. (Google it, Youtube it, etc)**

**Also, there were some questions as to who exactly were Pygmalion and Galatea. Check out this site here:**

**http:/en (dot) wikipedia (dot) org / wiki / FGalatea_(mythology)**

**(There's spaces between the dots and the slashes)**

**Anyway, here's chapter 19, and I hope you enjoy it. Please review!**

**_Chapter 19_**

**_Planes, Press and Propaganda _**

I was still sprawled across my bed and I was sure I was alone, even though I could hear Edward rummaging around my closet.

"What are you doing?" I somehow managed to croak.

"Surely you don't intend on leaving your treasure chest behind, do you?" he smoothly replied.

Still wrapped in my blanket, I managed to murmur, "I hadn't thought about it," but instantly regretted it. Each vibration of my voice echoed in my head like a endless tunnel, making me wince in dehydrated agony.

_Hangover - check!_

"And I'm sure you don't intend on checking it at the airport," Edward continued, taking a few steps closer to my bed.

"So, you're stealing it?" I asked with a chuckle. It seemed like such an odd thing to do. I can just imagine that 911 call. _"Someone stole my sex toys!"_

"Only for the next ten days or so," he casually answered. That velvet voice was so close, now just beside my ear, that I felt the impulse to reach up and bring those delicate lips to mine. Before I could act, he continued talking. "Speaking of which, it's just about 4 am. You should be getting up." His skilled fingers ghosted over my cheek, down my neck and over my breasts to my stomach, where they teased at descending lower still.

But I had no desire to get up, nor did I have any desire in the world, save him and him alone. I'd certainly be awake enough to fuck him, if he so pleased. But everything else could wait. I was in that weird-post-wake-up phase where I wasn't really sober, but I wouldn't call myself drunk either. I gathered his hand and brought it to mfy face, slowly drawing each separate and talented finger into my mouth to give it a gentle nibble. After the second or third time, he caught on to my playful demeanor and laughed through his nose before pulling away. "Ms. Swan. I have a plane to catch in fifteen minutes."

"Don't you own the plane?" I grumbled.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean my Air Force retired pilot will stand for my tardiness."

"Hmm," I hummed. "Will he make you do push ups?"

"Worse. He'll make me fly United Air - coach."

I giggled and pulled his entire body into bed with me. His arms instinctively wrapped around my stomach and his head rested on my chest, slowly rising and falling to the pace of my breath.

"Are you ready for this?" I whispered. To be honest, I wasn't sure if I was talking to him or myself, though he was the one who decided to answer.

"No - but it's too late for that now, huh?" he said, his voice throaty and deep. He chuckled a little and looked up to me with those emerald maze eyes. "What about you?"

"I'm . . . trying to tell myself it's all going to be okay. It _is_ going to be okay, right?"

He pushed himself on to his elbows and brushed a strand of hair out of my face, leaning in to give me a small peck. "No . . . No, it's not going to be okay. We'll be lucky if we make it through these next few weeks unscathed."

"But you'll still want me . . . even if everything blows up in our faces?"

He kissed me again, gentler, sweeter, and that seemed to be enough of a response for now.

"You know I saw Tanya there last night. She talked to me," I added.

His face instantly twisted into what seemed like a mix of surprise and disappointment. After sighing, he looked up at me and shook his head. "What did she say to you?"

"I don't really remember a lot of it. Something about spider webs and getting out of this before it gets messy. She said she liked me and if I was the head of any other company, she'd be on board. But things being what they are -" I paused to meet his uncertain gaze. "Well - the storm's drawing closer, isn't it?"

He nodded once and leaned in for another kiss. "It is."

"Will you deny it? Our relationship? You know . . . once things are out in the open?" I timidly asked, almost afraid of his response.

"I . . . I don't know," he said somberly, twiddling a loose string on my comforter between his fingers.

"Me either," I whispered, shaking my head in confusion. "What will your father do when he finds out?"

"I don't know - I'm not sure I really want to think about it." He gave an awkward laugh and shook his head. "I haven't been afraid of my father since I was seven. But he just may kill me for this."

"And your brother?"

"I don't really care what he thinks," Edward joked, intertwining his fingers in mine.

"Doesn't he know already? He acted like he did last night at the club."

"He knows of my interest in you . . . he's seen some of the drawings. He just doesn't know that I've acted on anything," Edward explained. His warm breath shot across my half naked stomach, causing goosebumps to flutter across my skin.

"Why were you in my complex that night, Edward? The first night . . . in the elevator." My voice was withdrawn and shaky, but I tossed that up to the early morning hour.

He took a deep breath and sighed. "You met Kate, right?"

"Yes."

"She lives at the other end of the sky walk in your building."

"So, you were going up to see her?"

"Her son, Garrett. He's three." _The dimpled infant from the photograph. _"Well," he corrected, "her and Tanya's son, Garrett."

I was still confused, but I'd have to find out more about that later. "How long had you been _interested _in me prior to that night?"

"Hmm . . ." He leaned up and kissed me on the forehead. "Bella, I have to go. I'm going to be late."

I groaned in response and wrapped my arms around his neck. "Stay . . . please?"

"I'll see you in a few hours," he whispered as he pushed up to his hands and knees. "Ask anything of me tonight . . . I'm all answers."

"Okay," I whined. "Later tonight, then. I'm going to hold you to that though. Any question I ask, huh?"

He gave me one last smile before climbing off my bed, grabbing my treasure chest, and ducking out my bedroom door.

I soon found myself running down the tunneled ramp to the airplane, dragging my carry on luggage behind me.

"Wait! Wait! Wait!" I yelled to the stewardess who was about to close the door to the plane. She gave me a forced smile and opened it just enough to slink through. "Sorry. Overslept a tad," I explained. By the look on her face, I could tell she was nonplussed, to say the least.

I hitched my purse and laptop bag higher on my shoulder and made my way through the back of first class. I scanned the aisles, looking for Alice, looking for my row number, looking for anything familiar.

_"Well, I don't care, Jasper. You can meet me in Baltimore, or you can wait until I get back," _Alice mused.

A side of my mouth lifted into a smile. This early in the morning and she was already barking orders. I got to the seat and plopped my bags down in front of me, casually sitting down next to her. She looked at me, gestured that she would only be a minute and told Jasper she had to go.

"Where the hell have you been?" she hissed as soon as she'd snapped the phone shut.

I sighed. "Don't ask."

"Rough morning?"

I pulled my big, black sunglasses to the top of my head and buckled my seat belt. "Rough night."

"Uh huh." She stuck her tongue into her cheek and eyed me incredulously.

I held up one finger and shook my head. "Not one word."

She nodded, flipped open her notebook and began filling me in on the ginormous day we had ahead of us. Immediately after arrival, we were to report to the convention center for set up. Doors opened at ten am. We'd be there for the first few hours to answer commercial inquiries and set up our showcase. After that, we'd go to the welcome luncheon followed by a brief press conference / question and answer session. Then, we'd have two hours of free time before the banquet.

In the past, the banquet had been the most pivotal part of the entire shindig. _That _was the time to shine. Everyone in attendance would dress in their fanciest clothing and give speeches that rivaled presidential addresses. Mostly, people flaunted their own companies and poked fun at any competitors that were present. If one was going to talk these bigwigs into investing in the company, it would probably be done at the banquet.

After the dinner and the presentations were over, there would be some formal dancing and frivolity before dismissal. Sunday, we'd wake up and do it all over again. And each city I went to during this trek would be exactly the same.

Convention Center, Set up, CEO Luncheon, Q & A Press Conference, Banquet, Sleep, Continental Breakfast, Repeat.

By the time I got back home to NY, I'd be dead - literally drained of all my energy. And I'll probably never want to step foot on a plane again.

Last year, and the year before, the different cities were more spread out. I had upwards of four or five days in each state before catching a plane to the next. Whether they decided to cut it down due to costs or the decline in our economy, I wasn't sure. But I did know the physical toll that it used to take out on me . . . I couldn't imagine what this year would be like.

Alice finished her itinerary and looked up with puzzled eyes. "Does all of this sound okay to you?"

"Do I have much of a choice?" I replied, giving her an innocent smile in return.

"Listen here, missy. I understand you had a rough night, but don't show up two hours late and get snippy with me."

I chomped a little harder on my gum and raised an eyebrow at her. "Do you enjoy your current profession, Ms. Brandon?"

"Sometimes," she joked with a laugh.

"Then, it's best you stop talking," I teased, shooting her a little wink.

She smacked my shoulder and started chuckling harder. "You'd be lost without me and you know it."

"Ahh . . . I guess," I confessed. "Wake me up when we get there." I pulled my glasses back down on my face, reclined my seat as much as possible and drifted off to sleep.

What seemed like only a few minutes later, Alice gently tapped my shoulder to wake me up. "Bella!" she hissed.

My eyes popped open. I pulled the glasses off my face and sat up, looking to her with bewilderment. "Are we there already?" I asked in disbelief.

"The captain just announced that we were starting our descent. You should get ready for the landing," she explained. I must have still been drunk when I got on the plane this morning because Alice certainly didn't sound this high pitched and squeaky a few hours ago.

I winced, took a sip of her water and gathered my things for arrival.

By ten am, I found myself standing next to Dyco Tech's booth at the Marriott Convention Center in Boston, MA. The associates for Dyco Tech that lived here had done a wonderful job putting the display together before my arrival and there were just a few things I needed to tweak. Every company that was in attendance was given a five feet by three feet space to showcase items pertaining to the automotive industry. We'd brought a completely electric motor that tops out at one hundred and fifty mph and only takes five minutes to charge. The public would love it because any gas-powered vehicle could be converted to this engine with a single four hundred dollar service. The problem was the price of production. If we could figure out a way to lower the cost to make it, we could mass produce it and the public would be driving this engine within a few years. Environmental crisis averted.

As I discussed some of my ideas for the portable navigation table with Jessica, I began to wonder about Edward. He was around here somewhere, I just knew it.

"Should I organize them alphabetically or by price?" Jessica asked as she rushed over to the various boxes laying on the table.

"Either way, just get it done. And get the banner up there as well," I commanded, taking a step back to see the whole picture. That was when I felt it. That stare, that tingle up my spine. I knew he was here, and I knew he could see me - I could feel it.

I looked left - nothing. I looked right - nothing. Up, around, anywhere, everywhere. Hundreds of bodies, hundreds of eyes, but none so delicious and spectacular as the object of my affection.

A tall blond man moved to the side about a hundred feet to my left, and there he was. He was dressed in black slacks with a white button down and tie, arms crossed and eyes set on me. I was just about to smile when I noticed his father hunched at his side, whispering something in his ear. Our eyes met in a brief, short-lived embrace, a solitary connection, before Jessica pulled at my arm and broke my lock on him. "Do you like that, Ms. Swan?"

I turned my gaze in the direction she gestured and took in the completed effect of the convention booth. "Much better, Ms. Stanley. Much better."

She smiled and looked in Edward's direction, attempting to see who I was so interested in, but to no avail. Edward had already taken his attention elsewhere. I no longer felt that certain tingle, that rush from his eyes on my body.

It wasn't until the luncheon that I felt that tingle once again. I sat at a circular table with Alice to my left and a name card reading "William S. Dean" to my right. I sighed as soon as I'd taken notice of it. As if we needed anything else to fuel the controversy. I was about to complain to Alice about it, but sudden warm breath at my ear stopped me.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Swan," whispered the thick, British accent.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Dean," I greeted, quickly looking up to meet his gaze. He walked around me to his chair and smiled warmly as he sat, refusing to tear those baby blues from my chocolate counterparts. That perfect shit eating grin smeared across his face, instantly causing a giggle to fall from my lips in return. In another world . . . another life . . . perhaps I'd taken him up on his offer. Perhaps we were upstairs, ripping our clothes off each other and whispering filthy nothings into each others ears. Perhaps I even enjoyed it. But that was another world - one where he'd gotten to me first, one where Edward was still in Europe or worked as a painter somewhere else, one where things were simple and easy.

Oh well, you win some, you lose some.

"How have you been? I apologize that I haven't had the opportunity to speak with you since the banquet," he quickly replied. "I've been traveling."

"That's quite alright, Mr. Dean -" I started.

"Will," he corrected. "How many times must I tell you, Isabella? We're associates, now. I would much prefer that be the manner you address me."

I rolled my eyes and laughed discreetly. "Of course. Please excuse me," I retorted. "What brings you to this silly convention?"

"A lot of my money is tied in the automotive industry. I'd be a fool not to invest in the future as well," he started, taking a sip of his pre-filled water. "I also enjoy these little functions quite a bit. They bring a certain sense of community to an overly competitive environment."

I nodded in agreement as the servers began to pass around the salad. Among the other people sitting at my table, I recognized only two people. It was the CEO for Nissan North America, Michael Blair, and the vice president, Nelson Ferraro. I'd met them a few years ago when Jenks was signing the contract making Dyco Tech the leading manufacturer for their intelligent keys, not to mention the various other key components we contributed to their vehicles.

It wasn't long before until I felt those eyes on me again. The tingle started at the base of my spine and worked its way north, leaving a string of goosebumps over my skin from head to toe. I took a deep breath and looked around for him.

Edward, Emmett, Tanya and Carlisle were seated two tables back to my right. I tried to make it a short look, one that could be blown off as a simple glance across the room. However, my eyes didn't seem to want to tear themselves away from him once they'd made his acquaintance. Those deep emerald traps held me in their death grip . . . and I loved it. One side of his mouth curled into a smile, lighting up his entire face and it took all the strength inside of me not to fling myself across the ballroom into his arms. A thick ball of stress and anxiety welled in my stomach, making it difficult to concentrate on anything else, yet forcing my head forward again. That ball of stress was there for a reason - to remind me who I am and what I'm doing here. I'm Isabella Swan, the CEO for Dyco Technologies, and I'm here to kick his ass . . . not stare at it all damned day

I don't know how he does it, but when those eyes look at me and take me in - the rest of the world simply falls away, leaving just he and I. I couldn't allow myself to be that vulnerable in such a public setting. I couldn't let myself become mesmerized by him.

"Welcome to the Technology Convention at Boston. I hope you all have found your booths and have associates preparing for the public. If not, it's too late now. Doors open in fifteen minutes," the speaker joked. He was a rather short man with blond hair, wearing a dark blue jacket with beige khakis. He stood on the podium in front of us with a huge projection screen behind him. "As you know, I'm Dirk Dickson, and I'm the Master of Ceremonies for this little get-together."

As we were served our lunches, Dirk began his presentation on what we could expect while staying with the Marriott. He also went over the rules and regulations of the banquet and when each company would be given speaking time in the main hall. I knew Jessica would handle all of this, with the exception of the banquet tonight. That was my job - my time to shine.

"Would you be opposed to sitting at my table tonight, Isabella?" Will leaned in and whispered.

"Of course not, Will," I gently obliged. I wasn't about to blow these last few weeks of hard work. It'd taken a lot to put up with and resist this gorgeous man, and once I'd gotten through the next ten days, any romantic notion of William Dean and I would hopefully fall away. However, that wasn't a good reason to be impolite to the man. He'd asked for me to sit with him, and I had no good reason to deny him. "I'd be delighted. Thank you for the invitation."

"It's my pleasure," he quickly answered with a sexy grin.

I wanted to talk about all of the press and media attention, not to mention the whirl of rumors surrounding us. I needed to know if he'd started it and how exactly he was prepared to handle it. I opened my mouth to ask the question, but Dirk Dickson cut me off with the dimming of the lights and the start of a presentation, one where my company was featured, so I needed to pay attention.

Once the lunch was complete and Mr. Dickson had stepped off stage, I decided I needed to take a break. The world was spinning around me, everything was picking up in pace. I had to be alone for a few minutes, just to sort through my own head. Edward and I had sort of made up, but things were still a little awkward with him, and it appeared that Dean was prepared to make any effort necessary to win my affections. I probably shouldn't have even told him that I was sort of seeing someone. I knew he would see it as a challenge and, of all the times to be right about something, I hated this the most. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy his company, Dean was quite the entertainer. I simply _preferred _to be elsewhere with someone different.

"Are you headed down to the question and answer session?" Will inquired, standing to push his chair in.

"It doesn't start for another hour, so I was going to take a quick shower. The plane always leaves me feeling . . . icky." I reached into my purse and gripped my room key, praying that the hotel had placed my bags in the right room. I was literally craving my Herbal Essences shampoo at this point.

Will nodded and rose to head towards the lobby. "On which floor did they put you?"

"The thirteenth. I believe I have a suite," I answered as politely as possible. To be completely honest, I still had the remnants of a hang over and Will's incessant questioning was beginning to annoy me. I stood, pushed my chair in and began to head towards the lobby as well.

"The thirteenth floor, huh? Isn't that supposed to be bad luck?" he joked.

I went to reply, but we inevitably passed Edward's table, where the three Cullens and one Denali all remained. Edward and I exchanged glances for the briefest of seconds, a short little encounter. In that tiny moment, I relived the entirety of last night. His warm body pressing me against the cool wall of a night club, the violent pulse of NYC below my feet, bent over the cement railing on the roof and that violent pop of palm to meaty flesh. Just looking at him made my heart rate triple.

_Fuck! I am so screwed._

How exactly did I plan to be around him for ten days and pretend to have no interest in him?

"I hope you brought your Ouija board," came a voice from the right.

Suddenly, I was snapped back to reality. "Huh?"

"You know, to conjure the evil spirits against Cullen Inc. You're already on the thirteenth floor, might as well put your unfortunate living quarters to good use," Dean teased, shooting a glance to the table of my competitors.

I smiled and let a little giggle escape my lips just to let him know I found his remark humorous, but said nothing more about the situation. I found myself somehow hoping Cullen had overheard which floor I was on and he'd come looking for me. Wishful thinking, I know. I doubted he'd take a risk that big while so many eyes and ears lingered. Not only that, but the paparazzi were swarming. The reporters in Boston weren't as bad as those in New York, and I'd yet to see one, but that didn't mean Edward and I were good to go. Any number of things could go wrong, and the next thing either of us knew, it'd be our faces plastered on those _USA Weekly_ newspapers. We'd be the ones everyone was hounding, and I had a feeling the public would not take so kindly to a relationship like ours.

On second thought, maybe they'd love it. They'd probably eat it up. The public loves drama, any drama, and a new age Romeo and Juliet would be right up their alley. But that would most certainly spell the death of my career, as well as his. The public would eat us alive.

By the time we'd gotten to the elevators, most of the crowd had dissipated. We were standing there waiting for the next ride when I felt that familiar presence creep up behind me and that distinctive tingle shoot down my back. The warmth of his aura swept over me and that sweet, woodsy, man smell I'd come to adore swirled around my head. Edward was right behind me. In fact, he was probably planning on using the same elevator as I.

_Great!_

I was literally locked in place. A huge part of me wanted to jump in his arms and plant kisses all over his face. But the smarter part locked myself down. I couldn't move, even if I wanted to. I had to pretend I didn't know him. I had to act like I hated him, like his very existence threatened my own - which was true in a sense, however hard it was to materialize.

"Have you given any more thought to my proposition?" Dean whispered.

"Which one was that?" I coyly responded.

"Which ever one you wish," he replied with a flirtatious undertone.

I smiled, a faint blush consuming my cheeks. "Perhaps -"

"Perhaps is a much better answer than no." Dean teased with a laugh.

_Oh, God! This is awkward._

Luckily, the doors picked that moment to open. I gave Dean an awkward giggle and took a few steps into the elevator, Dean quickly following behind me. He stood to my right and crossed his arms, anticipating more of a response from me. My eyes had naturally fallen to the floor, but lifted once Edward took his place at my left. His father, Tanya, Emmett and about five other people crammed into the smallspace after him. The three of us were literally smashed to the far right side of the little box.

"Mr. Dean, Ms. Swan," Edward greeted with a nod in our directions.

Will simply smiled, returned the nod and pushed the button for my floor.

"Mr. Cullen," I managed to mutter with all my strength.

_Pretend, Bella! Pretend better!_

Each little group quietly chatted amongst themselves, and I suppose Dean saw this as the best opportunity to try again.

"Well, how about the bungee jumping? At the very least you can accompany me to that," Dean pleaded with a laugh.

"Why are you so desperate to see me jump off something?" I replied, turning his direction a little. I raised an eyebrow, crossed my arms and gave him an incredulous look that suggested his prior excuses were not satisfactory. When he flashed that charming, dimpled grin in response, I chuckled and returned my attention to the floor lights above the doors.

"You've been living a double life, eh?" Dean quickly answered.

Edward involuntarily cleared his throat from right behind me. I ignored him. Dean on the other hand shot a glare his direction.

"Forgive me. I think I'm coming down with the flu," Edward quietly whispered.

Dean sighed and looked back to me. "I only meant that on a professional level, you portray yourself as this charismatic, hell-on-heels executive. Yet, I doubt your personal life reflects that image. Am I correct?"

I took a deep breath and considered his statement, allowing a small chuckle to fall from my lips. It wasn't because he was funny, it was just that the irony of the moment was threatening to pull me undone. "You assume too much."

"That may be the case. But I can tell this much about you. All work and no play makes Isabella a tense girl," he whispered with a smile. Then, he leaned in next to my ear and softly uttered, "come play with me, Isabella." With all the chatter and commotion, I was sure no one heard it. No one except Edward - whose lips cracked into a half-hearted smile as he averted his gaze to the ground. I was torn between reaching out and slugging my new business associate and laughing my ass off.

In the middle of it all, the doors chose that exact moment to open on my floor. Having little time to react, I chose the higher path and busted into complete hysteria. _'Come play with me?' _Is he serious?

I composed myself and looked to Dean with the slightest bit of pity. "Really?" I shook my head and walked out into the hall. "I'll see you at the banquet." I looked from the beautiful, yet ape-shit insane, blond investor to the gorgeous, yet unattainable, bronzed top competition and simply nodded my head in farewell before walking down the hall to my room.

_Laying it on thick, Mr. Dean. Laying it on thick, indeed. _

Maybe that's how he became so successful . . . persistent, if not always ethical.

I hadn't been inside my hotel suite for more than two minutes before there was a violent knock at my door. "I said I'd see you tonight, Will," I groaned to myself.

After I'd twisted the knob and opened the door, I was left stunned and grinning at my visitor. "Perhaps you'd rather play with me?" he teasingly asked, his voice as smooth as butter.

I bit my bottom lip and nodded eagerly. "I always want to play with you." I wrapped my hand around his tie and pulled his gorgeous body into my room, slamming the door behind him. I pushed him against the wall and ran my hands down his chest, instantly planting my lips against his. "Did anyone see you?" I managed to whisper in between passionate kisses.

"I went up to my floor and took the freight elevator down," he explained, shaking his head a little. I brought my lips to his in momentary bliss beforfe pulling back and quirking an eyebrow. I couldn't help remembering how little we'd actually talked about what was going on between us, or what had happened. "What's wrong?"

"I - I just -" I leaned in to kiss him again, and again, and one last time before continuing. "You really can't be here right now. Alice will be here any second and we can't risk anyone seeing you coming from this room. We need to form a plan or something," I explained, frantically pushing my hair behind my ears to look up at him.

But he didn't seem to care. He flashed a silly grin and pushed his half erect dick against my lower belly. "What do you plan to do about that?" he whispered, leaning in to plant a simple peck on my neck.

I laughed and fell into him, wrapping my arms around his neck. God, I loved his smell and I just felt so alive around him. "I don't plan to do anything about that until tonight." I pushed his shoulders back a little. "You should probably go, Mr. Cullen. The press junket is only an hour away."

"That's a shame." He sighed and placed a kiss on my forehead. I grabbed the door handle and pushed him through the opening. "I was rather hoping you'd be there when I make you scream my name. I suppose the imaginary Bella will just have to do."

I almost couldn't help the hiss that escaped my lips. He always knew just what to say to fuck my shit all up. "I'll see you tonight, Edward."

"See you tonight," he whispered.

As he went to turn down the hall, Alice's distinctively pissed off voice resonated from the other end. "Oh, just fucking great! As if you need to draw anymore attention to yourself, Bella," she hissed, marching right up to us with her hands on her hips. "And you don't need the bad media either," she snarled at Edward. "Now, go back to whatever creepy, stalker, spy lair you crawled out of. Don't worry though, it's probably right across the street!"

"Alice!" I scolded.

Edward smirked and looked up at me. "I'll see you later, Bella." He put his hands in his pockets and turned for the elevators.

"Oh, great! Are you trying to sabotage me?" I barked at Alice.

"Bella, this entire floor is booked with people from that convention. Directors, finance advisers, all kinds of riff-raff from various companies. All it would take is one person to recognize _him_ and see _you_ open that door," she whispered, pushing me back into the hotel room.

"Alice, it's okay. No one saw."

"You're walking a fine line, deary." She shook her head and paced into the bedroom of my suite. By the time I'd followed her in there, she was already rifting through my suitcases for the dresses I'd brought with me. "The red one," she whispered solemnly, pulling it out from the stack on my bed.

"The red one," I agreed with a simple nod.

She put her hands on her hips and took a deep breath, looking to the ground with disdain. "You know I love you right?" she whimpered.

"I do."

"Then stop this, Bella." Alice walked back into the living room and grabbed my shoulders, her eyes on the verge of tearing up. "I just don't want anything to happen to you. I don't want the world to eat you alive."

I pulled her into a friendly hug and let her fall to pieces on my shoulder. "I know," I whispered.

_Damned pregnancy hormones._

She was sobbing and gasping for air, all the while muttering something barely coherent. "I just . . . I see how happy you are around him . . . and I want that for you, I do." She pulled back, composed herself and wiped her tears away. "Just - not with him, okay?" I went to say something, but the look on her face suggested she was on a tangent and nothing I could say would silence it. "I know that if this was some other parallel universe, you two would be a match made in heaven . . . like Mr. Darcy and what's-her-face." I couldn't help but laugh at Alice when she got on rants like this. She always thought of too much too fast and wasn't always able to get everything out before her mind moved on. "But here and now," she continued. "You're horribly wrong for each other. I just . . ." She put her hand over her worried brow and sighed. " . . . I feel like something really bad is going to happen soon. And everytime I look at him, I feel this overwhelming dread in the pit of my stomach."

We hugged and I assured her that everything was going to be alright. "We made it through high school, we'd make it through this." She laughed and left me alone to shower.

The sadistic part was, Alice always had sort of a gut feeling about how things were going to happen. She wasn't necessarily "psychic," she never had visions or anything. But Alice always went with her gut, and her gut generally turned out to be correct. If she was feeling that uneasy about my relationship with Cullen, well, I was absolutely fucked. I knew there was no turning back now.

After I was showered and dressed for the question and answer session, Alice and I made our way downstairs to the press room. About a hundred people already had their seats in the audience, and as I made my way to the stage, I noticed that most of the CEOs were already there and ready to speak - including Edward. Just the sight of him made my heart jump into my throat. He always looked so damned breath taking, so unfairly beautiful, and it never ceased to make me weak in the knees, even if I was in front of over a hundred strangers.

My violently shaking legs somehow managed to carry me across the platform and find my seat, which was, lo' and behold, right next to my competition. Apparently, the TTA advisers had separated each representative by type of company. Technology was down at this end, right next to the Safety Development section which was on the other side of the Mechanics Association. Edward and I would be completely secluded. One foot in front of the other, I made my way to my seat and smiled at the object of my desire as I plopped my things on top of the table.

"Ms. Swan," he quietly greeted.

"Mr. Cullen." I timidly pulled my chair from under the floor length table cloth and sat, immediately scooting the seat forward.

I'd tried so hard to ignore him, to act as if it was his father next to me. Last year, they had us separated by a few chairs, perhaps to keep the bickering at a minimum. But this year, there wasn't the time for separation. The directors of the TTA had smashed the conventions together so much that there would be no special treatment for individual types of companies. All of it had to be done together.

I took a deep breath to steady my pounding heart, but it didn't seem to help. I'd managed to be seated for approximately two minutes before his hand instinctively went to my knee.

I tensed for a moment. Would anyone see? Would anyone be close enough? Should I shake it off?

The press and media seated below would be clueless because of the table cloth, and it seemed like everyone else on stage was already seated and facing forward.

No one would see. No one would know.

I scooted a little closer to him and closed my hand over his, allowing the connection between us to grow stronger. Everytime he touched me, it seemed like fireworks went off inside my stomach and it took all I had not to demand that sort of attention all over my body. Just one sideways glance at him made me want to rake my fingers through that maze of bronze atop his head.

"Isabella Swan from Dyco Techologies," the speaker introduced. I'd gotten so caught up in thinking about my love life, I hadn't heard Dirk Dickson begin.

_Great! Pay more attention, Bella! Damn it._

"Edward Cullen from Cullen Incorporated," the speaker continued.

Edward smiled, gave a little wave and returned his attention to the mass of paperwork in front of him. The speaker went on to introduce the other affiliates, but I'd already tuned him out again. That warm palm pressed to my knee had begun to drag north . . . and I really mean drag. He crept along, slowly torturing me with his gentle touch. His fingers swept under the hem of my dress and scrunched it toward my waist, all the while my eyes focused on the emergency exit sign dead ahead of us at the back of the room.

Oh, how I wished I could duck out of this event. I'd trail Edward with me and we'd race to my hotel suite. I'd ravish that perfect fucking hair, that perfect mouth, that perfect chest all over my fucking room - leaving not a spot untainted.

I quickly blocked thoughts like those from continuing. As much as I wanted to run, I knew I was stuck here with him - stuck here in front of hundred of prying eyes. I could only imagine how many questions I'd get about Dean this afternoon.

The lights dimmed as the MC droned on. He was properly setting up each company with a short little video, and all the while, Edward's right hand was trailing the inside of my thigh. Warm fingertips ghosted up my leg, and back down. After another sweeping pass, Edward's hand trailed a little higher and teased the lining of my black, satin panties. One finger brushed against my clit, and then another and another. He was stroking me, petting me, urging me to get wet for him. And, ever so gently, he raked them back down to my knee cap and circled the goose pimpled skin around my joint.

I seemed frozen. My arms locked into place on the table, my feet planted hip width apart on the floor, and my eyes refused to pull away from that illuminated sign at the back of the room. I was so nervous - so anxious - yet, so entirely turned on. I was practically dripping. All these people were watching, all the cameras were focused on me, and I was bordering on getting finger fucked in front of it all by my enemy.

It seemed ironic, in a way. Everyone in this room was probably jumping at the chance to ask me about Dean, secretly hoping this would be the time I finally admitted a relationship. Yet here I sat, discreetly baring it all on national television, and no one was the wiser.

His finger pushed my panties aside and connected with my skin, and, Oh God, how wonderful that felt. I wanted him to keep going, wanted him to prod and poke as much as he wished . . . but I had to keep my cool. My face, though begging to twist into euphoria, remained smooth as stone. I tried not to move, tried not make any noise whatsoever, but that seemed an impossible feat when it came to him. The connection of his skin with mine was sheer bliss, absolutely wonderful and fantastic ecstasy.

I casually looked around and noticed nothing out of the ordinary. I supposed no one heard me, no one except Edward - who was suppressing the sexiest of grins. He looked down at his lap and smiled, rubbing the thumb of his other hand over his brow to hide his face from the crowd. Our secret tryst at the far end of the table was adding another voyeuristic layer to this entire scenario. Perhaps that excited me most of all.

My gaze shifted from the exit sign to the hundreds of eyes looking up at the presentation Dirk was playing. Hundreds of eyes that could shift my direction any second, and what would they see when they looked at me? What would they read in my face, my posture? He had to stop. He had to stop immediately.

A faint blush coming to my cheeks, I pushed his hand toward my knee and pursed my lips, glaring into the audience with a vengeance. Logical Bella had to take over. There could be nothing that would give us away. With that in mind, I needed to chop up my blue balls and eat them - so to speak.

I took a deep breath just as Edwards mischievous hand shot back to his lap and the lights came on. "We'll go ahead and open the floor for questioning. Hannah Leison, I believe you pulled the ticket for first question," Dirk introduced, gesturing toward the audience.

"Yes sir," chirped the excited little blond in the front row. She stood, adjusted her tight mini-skirt and looked my direction. "My first question is for Ms. Swan, Dyco Tech."

My head snapped up and I'm sure a distinctive blush was smearing my face, but damn it, I had to push it aside. It was game time. "Good afternoon, Ms. Leison," I greeted as calmly as possible. My voice sounded smooth and delicate, as if none of that had just happened to me. Damn, I even surprised myself.

"Ms. Swan, I'm sure you're aware of the allegations regarding Mr. William Dean and yourself. Would you care to clear the air once and for all? Are you two an item?" the blonde reporter squeaked.

I squared my jaw and pursed my lips, resisting the urge to jump into the crowd and attack this woman. I must have answered this question a million times this week alone. I thought the metaphorical air had already been cleared. And in true PR fashion, I vaguely danced around the issue yet again. "The last time I checked, my personal life was of no interest to the TTA, nor should it be to you. However, due to Mr. Dean's generous contribution to our company, Dyco Tech is predicted to jump four points over the next three months alone. His involvement is quite imperative to our success."

"So, those pictures that surfaced of you two after last weeks banquet were -"

I interrupted almost immediately. "Misconstrued, as they typically are."

"And the picture of him leaving your housing complex a few days after?"

_Really?_

I seemed dumbfounded by this information . . . really astounded for various reasons. One: someone was taking photos outside my housing complex. That, in itself, was creepy. Two: what the hell was Dean doing there? Who else could he know that lives in my building? And finally, yet most importantly, Edward and I had walked home together last night. Was someone standing there then? Had someone been following me this whole time?

"He must have been visiting someone else," I quickly answered. I didn't want to appear surprised by that. My attitude _should _be 'so what?' and that waFs something I needed to keep on my face, regardless of however loud the tiny voice inside was screaming. "Do you have any further questions about Dyco Tech, Ms. Leison?"

"Actually, I have a question for Mr. Cullen next."

Edward perked up at the mention of his name.

"Mr. Cullen, I was browsing the program for your company and it mentioned that Cullen Incorporated has fully engineered the Nationwide Automotive Grid. When is something like that going to be operational and available to the public?"

_Holy fucking crap, he did it._

Carlisle had been talking about the NAG for years, but most of us just assumed it was a pipe dream. Imagine a world where vehicles were fully capable of driving themselves whereever one asked them to go. Imagine a world where each car was networked to every other car in a twenty mile radius and each one knew where all the others were at any given moment. No more automobile accidents, no more DUIs, no need for any of that.

My eyes shot to my competitor at my left. I couldn't help the look of utter surprise that smeared my face.

Edward smiled, gave a little chuckle and leaned forward on the table, crossing his hands in front of him. "At present, the project costs too much to fund and develop. Each vehicle on the road would need a $4,000 service to fully integrate into the NAG network, something most consumers would consider impractical, and you're talking about the loss of valuable jobs such as bus drivers, taxi cab drivers, metro employees and other mass transportation occupations. We'd have to build hundreds of networking towers and that would take decades, not to mention billions. We're still working out the finer details."

Little Miss Prime Time Network flashed him a silly smile and looked down to her flash cards. "And what of your personal life? Anything you'd like to comment on?"

"Ever the bachelor, Ms. Leison," Edward smoothly answered.

"Do you have any more questions?" Dirk asked.

"That's all," she coyly responded, giggling herself down to her seat.

"I believe Mr. Kendal from CBS is next."

"Yes," answered a balding man in his fifties. The portly fellow stood and gestured to Edward. "Mr. Cullen, Dyco Technologies has been called the leader of advanced technology manufacturers, and it takes only a little research to confirm that statement. What, if anything, does Cullen Incorporated have in store to outdo them?"

Edward choked an awkward laugh and ran his hands through his hair, twisting that stray piece that always seemed to stick out. "That's an excellent question, Mr. - uh - Kendal, right? Ms. Swan puts up a hard contest, one that would make any man cower in fear. But where she brings experience, we have innovation, something pivotal to making the future a reality. Experience can only take you so far."

"Ms. Swan, your response to that?" Mr. Kendal asked, looking my direction.

I hardly had any words, but I knew that I must say something. Quivering, I leaned into the microphone and uttered the first thing that came to mind. "I would hardly think creativity alone could withstand these hard economical times. Experience means you've seen the ups and downs, that you've lived through them. You can pay someone to be innovative, experience is invaluable."

"Perhaps time will tell on that one," Edward joked, attempting to lighten the situation.

"Perhaps the number's already do," I instantly retorted.

He pursed his lips and looked to Mr. Kendal incredulously. "Anything else?"

"That's all. Thank you, sir."

The questions continued into the afternoon. We were probed about everything - all the items on the program and some that hadn't even been introduced yet. I was on edge the entire time. I shouldn't have added that last little jab, but I needed to have the last word, I needed it to look believable. From the boisterous reaction of the crowd, I was sure they'd taken the bait. Then, came the questions about the economy. Yes, it was slipping. Yes, it appeared to be crashing. But what had we planned to do about that?

Last time I checked, I was still doing okay. My subsidiaries were doing okay. I had no reason for concern. _Yet._

By the time the conference was over with, I was mentally exhausted. Putting up such a facade for the media was torturous, and the fact that Edward was sitting right next to me the entire time pushed that anxiety to the maximum. I booked it to my suite and immediately passed out on the mattress.

What I assumed was only a few minutes later, Alice's soft voice voice filled my head.

"Bella! You're supposed to be ready. Come on. Get dressed."

I rolled off the mattress and stumbled to the bathroom, mentally cussing her out in the process.

I soon found myself standing at the entrance for the Grand Ballroom dressed in a floor length, ruby red evening gown with matching pumps. My hair was curled and pinned behind my head in soft ringlets. I looked damned stunning, if I do say so myself. Alice at my side, we walked into the ballroom and took our seats at Dean's table closest to the presentation stage, as requested. As soon as we sat, I spotted Will across the room, deliciously dressed in a black tuxedo with a black shirt underneath. It's a shame I was already involved with Edward - I might have actually harbored some interest in Dean otherwise.

Needless to say, the daredevil thing meant a costly life insurance policy and his obsession with money meant he'd never love anything else as much, save himself. Such a waste.

Dean immediately looked in my direction and smiled, shooting me a little wink. I lifted one side of my mouth into a grin and waved at him discreetly.

"This is a nice place, isn't it?" Alice whispered, drawing my attention back to the table.

"Yeah, it's not bad."

"I was wondering what we would expect in Boston, of all places but - Oh! Look, it's Rosalie!" She pointed towards the back of the room.

Rosalie, dressed in a beautiful purple evening gown, sauntered to our table and opened her arms for a hug. "Hello, Rosalie," I greeted, wrapping my arms around her shoulders. "I thought they weren't going to send you this year."

She sighed and pulled away from me, leaning into Alice next. "They changed their minds," she grumbled. "I'm so pissed off. I was planning on going to Cancun."

I chuckled and gestured for her to sit.

"At the last second, Royce got sick and here I am," she hissed.

"Where are you sitting?" I immediately asked. If she was somewhere else, I'd have it switched. She was sitting here, regardless of what her ticket said.

"I think I'm actually here with you," she casually answered, digging in her purse for what appeared to be lipstick and a compact mirror. She reapplied, took one last look in the compact and glanced back up at me. "Which is good because I have an update on the background check." Rose leaned in and grabbed my hands like she was getting ready to tell me horrible news. "Bella, Cullen's files are password protected - protected by higher ups. Higher than my . . . friend."

"So, can he get them or not?" Alice jumped in.

"I don't know. He's going to try - but it might cost you," Rose continued, taking a sip of the prefilled water.

"How much?" I inquired, trying to hide the shaking in my voice. I was getting nervous - really nervous. What the hell was on that damned report? What would his background show me? What was painted on his puzzle that I wouldn't like?

Those words from what seemed like forever ago haunted me. His face like stone when he whispered, _"What happens when you finally put the pieces together? What if you don't like the picture?" _That look in his eyes, that vulnerability.

What was I getting myself into?

I'd almost forgotten I was in a conversation until Rosalie spoke again. "I don't know yet. I'm going to meet up with him in Baltimore on Monday. I should know more then."

But we couldn't talk more about it because, at that exact moment, Will walked over to the table and stood at the small opening between Rosalie and I. "Good evening, ladies. How are we tonight?"

"Doing just fine, Will. How are you?" I gracefully answered, giving him a playful smile. I could tell he was a little embarrassed by our encounter earlier, but was damned determined to shake it off and keep going. I'll give him this, the man had spirit.

"Splendid." His eyes trailed from mine to Rose, where they perked in interest. "I don't believe we've met. William Dean." He reached his hand out, palm up, to take hers.

"Rosalie Hale. Pleasure," she cooed with a smile, gently placing her hand in his.

"Are you a friend of Isabella's?"

"Actually, she's my sister," Alice explained.

"Ah, wonderful. Will you be joining us at this table, then?" Will politely asked.

"If that's alright. I'm supposed to sit over there," Rose started, pointing to a seat on the other side of the table. "But, because I knew them so well, I assumed it wouldn't be a problem to -"

Will shot her a smile and interrupted. "Absolutely. I understand completely." He turned my direction and gave me a wink. I was sure he was going to say something else, but a fellow associate shouted his name from across the room. Will looked up and nodded. "If you'll excuse me, ladies." He took a few steps backwards and crossed his hands before taking off in that direction.

"See, Bella. Now, that's the guy you should be fucking," Rose teased, pointing her cocktail straw the direction he left.

"Oh come off it, Rose. Some people are addicted to cocaine, some to love, others to power" I joked, reiterating our conversation a few weeks ago. "But that man loves his money. I think that's worse."

"So, he's rich? How is that a _bad _thing?" Rose added with a laugh.

Alice snickered and I gave her a smile, but deep down, something changed. The atmosphere around me shifted and that tingle returned to my spine - as if my body knew Edward was here and recognized his stare, even if I did not.

_That's . . . well . . . that's a little creepy._

My eyes trailed the ballroom and instantly connected with that brilliant green stare two tables down. I gazed at him for a second, an innocent blush gracing my cheeks. The voices around me faded as I zoned in on him, and everything simply fell away. My racing heart and gasping lungs were the only sound in my head. That face was the catalyst for countless memories flooding my mind - each one more erotic and intense than the last. I admired those lips and imagined them pressed to my ear while his hand twisted a clump of hair behind my head.

_"Make sure your audience is satisfied."_

Damn. I couldn't wait to get this fucking dinner over with. I was planning horrible things for that man - things that involved hand cuffs and blindfolds and possibly the underwear with the pearls and maybe -.

"Bella, what do you want to drink?" Alice asked, shaking me from my daydream.

I looked over to her and smiled. "Champagne is fine."

The conversation continued, and once everyone else was seated, dinner was served. It hadn't escaped me that Will chose the seat directly across from mine. Everytime I looked up, he was directly in my line of view and, when our eyes would cross, he'd smile and take another bite of food. Almost convincingly, I would warmly grin in return and look away, sometimes down to my food, sometimes to the exit at the back. I was supposed to be here for business, but all I could think about was what was waiting for me once this was all over. Everyone around me chattered, but I seemed lost in thought. Not only was I a little nervous about presenting to this many people, but I couldn't stop thinking about my enemy. I had to consciously remind myself that's who Edward was, and all he was supposed to mean to me. Those glances that lasted just a little too long had to come to end.

I felt like a ticking bomb, that every second that passed was another second closer to everything exploding in my face. It was only a matter of time, now. The worst part was that every bit of anxiousness I was feeling right now was brought on by my own actions. I should have ended it weeks ago, but I just couldn't, or wouldn't. I knew at the time that I would eventually find myself in a predicament like this, and now here I was.

What exactly was I planning on doing?

Well . . . I had no fucking idea.

_"Just let it go. It'll all work out as it should," _my subconscious advised. At the moment, I had no choice but to oblige.

That fickle bitch called fate picked that moment to throw a curve-ball my direction.

"So what do you make of that Cullen Automotive Grid nonsense?" Will asked, perking everyone's attention.

"It'll never happen," Rose instantly added. "It's too expensive."

"I knew that's all they'd ever amount to. All talk, no action," Will mocked, leaning back in his seat to cross his hands.

At this point, my eyes narrowed and I leaned into the table. "If I may speak freely," I started. He nodded in response. "What do you have against the Cullens? I mean, I know what I have against them and, while that makes perfect sense, I see no reason for your intense despise. What's the story?"

Perhaps I should have kept my mouth shut because the look he shot my direction could have killed an army. "Are you serious?" he started.

"He's a money swindler, a spy - a monopolizer," one of the other directors interrupted.

"He basically raped half of western Europe's technological agencies. Doesn't he own most of them now?" another asked.

"Yeah, except for, well, yours," Dean corrected, nodding his head in my direction. "And I can't imagine what he'd do to get them."

My stomach dropped and my breathing picked up and, suddenly, it felt like my heart was in my throat. I couldn't believe what I was hearing - how could any of that be possible? How could _Edward _be capable of that?

"I mean, that's why I left," Dean continued. "Carlisle was - softer, gentler, likable. With Junior, you have to be on your toes . . . ya know? It's like "is he going to hug me or stab me in the back?" Bloody "Et tu Brute" and all that," Will explained with a boisterous laugh.

Alice laughed awkwardly. "That's why we're number one, right? Because we've got the best security, huh Bells?" Her voice was shaky, though she tried to hide it well.

"Where did all these rumors start?" I numbly asked, my eyes shifting from my half eaten dinner to Will.

"Like I said," Will began, looking up to me with a sadness in his eyes, a pitiful desperation that had not been there before. "Et tu Brute."

Chills ran down my spine. The look in his eyes amplified an already somber grimace beginning to smear his face and I knew, right in this very moment, Edward and Will had a history, some kind of unresolved issue that still plagued Will's thoughts to this day.

I took a deep breath and put it out of my mind. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't have let any of this gossip effect me. Even though my particular situation was bias, I needed to maintain my calm exterior. William Dean, of all people, could not know about my relationship with Cullen, especially after his reaction to my question tonight.

As the banquet progressed, my time to shine drew closer and closer. Before I knew it, the director of the TTA introduced Dyco Technologies and "Isabella Swan" blared over the PA system. I stood to the applause and immediately made my way to the stage. The spot light narrowed on me, making it almost impossible to see out into the audience. No matter. I put on my best smile and clicked the start button for my presentation. In my evening gown and my sexy-fucking-heels, I stood in front of a huge audience and represented the number one technology agency in the world. I was nervous - to say the least. My knees threatened to give out any second and my voice was a little shaky, but after a few minutes, I slipped into my groove and demanded the attention I deserved.

Halfway into it, I knew I held the majority of the audience in my grasp. They were merely putty in my hands, and when the lights came back up at the end of my presentation, I knew I was in for a hell of a positive reaction. The audience gave me a standing ovation, everyone except the Cullen table. Tanya and Emmett glared at me. Carlisle politely clapped. But Edward, well, Edward smiled, stunningly grinned, with that distinctive feral tint to his eyes.

When I made my way back to my seat, Alice and Rose greeted me with open arms.

"Great job, Bella! That was amazing," Alice squealed as I sat. "Let's see Cullen top that."

"He can't, and he knows it," Rose added.

I simply chuckled and gave them a gentle smile.

Rose couldn't have been more wrong. Edward Cullen took the stage next and fucking killed them, he had everyone, myself included, in stitches about three minutes into his presentation. He poked fun at everyone, anyone with any drama in attendance. It was hilarious, almost too funny. I took a look around at all the laughing people, the enamored investors, the rival companies, and the media bigwigs all captivated by Edward's speech. But once he played his video, I was dumbfounded and everyone else at my table seemed just as stunned. He had done an exceptional job, and if I had a humble personality, I'd say he did a little better than me.

But I knew better and I was anything but humble.

As he ended his presentation and walked back to his table, our eyes met once again, a stolen glance from across the room. Time seemed to slow, my heart skipped a beat and a gasp fell from my mouth. Adoration emanated from the depths of his lock on me and I knew tonight would be unlike anything else we'd shared together. So much was exchanged in that simple connection, I almost couldn't bear it. I smiled and tilted my head to the ground, almost unable to withstand our separation any longer.

And then time just sped the fuck back up. I looked around me as everyone chattered with each other. No one had noticed the encounter, no one had seen my blush, no one cared. No one . . . except for Mr. William S. Dean . . . who had yet to take his eyes off me this entire evening.

The banquet continued, each representative taking the stage for their speeches and presentations. It lasted hours and by the time everyone was done, I was pretty sure I'd drank my hang over away. Dirk Dickson formally opened the floor for dancing, (Who in the hell names their kid Dirk Dickson, anyway?), and a little band started playing jazz music at the far end of the dance floor in the middle of all of the commotion. I immediately made my way to the bar.

As I stood in line, a familiar voice whispered from behind me. "Don't turn around."

I jumped a little and immediately started laughing.

"You did wonderful tonight," he cooed.

"Thank you," I quietly said with a smile. "So did you."

"Will Mr. Dean be walking you to your room?" Edward mused softly, so low that only I would hear him. There was an undermining arrogance in his tone. He just couldn't resist.

"Probably not," I teased.

He chuckled in return. "I'll wait until the coast is clear. I'll text you before I knock, so you can be ready."

"Okay," I muttered.

There was a pregnant silence between us, as if there was so much more he wanted to say but couldn't. "You look beautiful, by the way," he whispered.

This time, I couldn't resist. I looked over my shoulder and gave him a sexy little smile. The line moved forward, so I looked forward to catch up, but by the time I'd look back again, he'd already taken off. He was gradually heading to the other bar at the far end of the ballroom.

After a few drinks and mingling with several potential clients, I decided to head back to my room. I'd have to save dancing for the next town - I was absolutely exhausted. Will, who'd barely had a chance to talk to me all night, took this as his opportunity to try again. "May I escort you, Isabella?" he asked when he caught up with me toward the exit.

"Just to the elevators, huh? I can take it from there." I shot him a wink. This would give me the opportunity to find out what in the hell he was doing at my housing complex a few days ago and who exactly had started these rumors about our relationship? Was the media hounding him just as much as they were me? What was he saying when they asked about the affair?

"Actually, Will," Rose cut in, "I'll take it from here. I need to speak with Bella, alone preferably." She shot him a playful smile and wrapped her arm around mine. "Good night," she whispered in his direction.

"Good bye." I managed to wave before Rose pulled me into the lobby by the elevators. "What's going on with you?" I urgently asked once we were alone.

"I wasn't done telling you about Cullen," she breathlessly responded, pressing the up button.

I sighed and rolled my eyes at her. "What, Rosalie?" I grumbled. My eyes lazily shifted between her and the party in the ballroom, where I saw Edward mingling with one of the potential clients I'd spoken to an hour earlier. "After dinner, I'm quite sure I've heard enough propaganda about him."

"The fact that his file is so protected . . . well, it only confirms what Dean said. It could only mean one thing, Bella," she started. "He's done something the government doesn't want anyone to know about - or, perhaps, something _he_ doesn't want anyone to know about."

My gaze instantly shifted back to hers just as the doors opened. She pulled me inside and hit the doors closed button before pressing thirteen. "What are you saying? He's a murderer, or something?" I asked with a laugh. I honestly didn't think she'd agree.

"Or a spy, or . . . " Rose shook her head with the possibilities. " . . . an ex-convict? I mean, who the hell knows! The point is _you _need to stop fucking around with him," Rose hissed. "I'm serious this time. He could be up to anything. I mean - you heard what Will said."

Suddenly, my heart felt like it was about to explode in my chest. My breathing became labored and forced. I couldn't believe what Rose was telling me. I wouldn't. I took a deep breath, let it go, and looked up to her. "That _was_ pretty strange, huh?" I asked. "What do you suppose is the history with Dean and Cullen?"

"Don't change the subject, Bella," Rose instantly retorted. "I don't know. Probably a girl or a few millions dollars or something." Rose shook her hand as if that was trivial. "The point is, Bella, you need to get your head together."

"I'm supposed to see him tonight. What should I say?"

"I don't care what you say. Just break it off before it gets messy." She crossed her arms and leaned a littler closer to me, seeing something in my eyes that startled her. "Oh my god, it's already messy, isn't it? Look at you! You reek of love stink." She threw her hands in the air and paced the elevator, her face twisting into a terrible grimace. "Heaven almighty! What am I going to do with you?"

"My entire being is telling me this is what I'm supposed to do, Rose. How can I stop that? How do I say no to that?" I was practically scolding her at this point.

"That's not your 'entire being', you idiot! That's your brain . . . that's your brain on its own form of heroine!" All she needed was a frying pan, an egg, and that girl from _She's All That. _"Well, that's it, honey. I've tried my best. There's nothing more I can do for you. Congratulations. I'll leave a secretary position open at my company for when things blow up in your face. That's if they don't implicate me in this whole thing. I may not even have a job after -"

I winced at her remark. Yeah, it stung a little - but a part of me felt like it was deserved. I squared my jaw and narrowed my eyes on her. "It's all about you, huh?"

Her face twisted into disbelief. "It is only a matter of time before things get bad for you, sweetheart." And the doors chose that moment to open. "Listen," her voice a little smoother and calmer. "Come to my room with me . . . spend the night . . . forget all about him. Stand him up. Hurt him before he hurts you."

I was given a choice. I could go with Rosalie, end things with Cullen once and for all. Or . . . or I could take a blind leap of faith - for I knew that's all Edward was. My mind would keep me in that elevator with her, but my gut, well, my heart forced my feet to move forward.

"Rose, I've never been one to take relationship advice to heart. And I love you, but I'm fully capable of handling things on my own." I took two steps forward, officially crossing into the hall. "You know, despite the decline in the economy, Dyco Tech's stocks are up significantly, the majority of that spike due to this attention from the media." We stood in silence for a few seconds, the weight of the situation baring down on both of us. When I decided I had nothing else to say to her, I muttered, "I'll see you tomorrow morning," and waved goodbye before marching down to my suite.

Once there, I was able to slip out of my dress and pull the pins from my hair before my cellphone went off in my purse.

_New text message:_  
_The Spy_  
_11:27 pm_

_I'm getting off the elevator now._

Dressed in a black corset, stockings, and red pumps, I sauntered to the hotel room and opened the door. Starting at the shoes, his eyes trailed the length of my body and back down again. "Wow," he whimpered.

I giggled, grabbed his tie and pulled him into my hotel room, instantly bringing those pouty lips to mine. His arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me closer to his body, just as he kicked the door closed behind him. Day one, down . . . nineteen more to go. As we were sharing this extraordinary moment together, I couldn't help but wonder how exactly we'd made it through the whole day without someone catching on to something. But I had to push it to the back of my mind. Edward was here, I was half naked, and, as his talented fingers danced across the lace of my corset, I felt all the worries from the day simply drip away. His skin on mine was all I needed to be concerned about.

And I hadn't forgotten what he'd promised early this morning. He said he'd answer anything, and I had questions. So many questions. Things that literally gnawed at my insides. Things that, again, would have to wait

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed it. Remember, if you leave a review, I will send you a teaser for Chapter 20. I'm planning to start working on it today, so expect something soon. Make sure PM is enabled. :-) Thanks for reading. **


	20. Fantasies, Sacrifices & Falling in Love

**A/N: ****Also, check out my blog: http:/ www (dot) jenn1987sspot (dot) blogspot (dot) com**

**There is a link on there to Bella's Treasure Chest, which you might need if you're - unfamiliar - with certain parts of this chapter. Check it out!  
**

**It has everything Spy Games, including the awesome playlist for this story. Speaking of which, the songs for this chapter are:**

**"Stranglehold" by Ted Nugent (THE NUGE!)  
"Outside" by Staind  
"Strangers" by Portishead**

**_Chapter 20  
Fantasies, Sacrifices & Falling in Love.  
_**

Edward wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me into the air, softly pressing his lips to mine. His touch was eager, anxious, as if he had waited his whole life for this very moment. And to be honest, it _was_ the first time we'd been alone together since our quarrel a week ago. Sure, we'd romped on the roof of that club, but by the time we made it back to my loft, I was too far gone. I passed out before anything could be said or reconciled about that entire situation. As much as I wanted to move past it, forget it ever even happened, something about the whole thing picked at the back of my mind like a thousand tiny little splinters.

The things he said were entirely out of line and a tad unnecessary. Why bring my being a woman into it? Why threaten to break off the whole arrangement? Why get that defensive? I couldn't put my finger on it, but something inside was raising a red flag in protest and screaming for me to run.

Certainly, I'd pushed him on that night just as hard as he pushed back in return, but was all of what was said really how he felt? Or did he just say it to peck at my frustrations?

I simply didn't know. Add that to the list of a million other things about Edward Cullen that I simply didn't know.

Once my feet were firmly planted on the tile of the kitchenette in my suite, I ran my hands down his shoulders and took a deep breath. His fingers scrambled to untie the lace around my corset, that distinctively feral look resonating from the depths of his permeating emerald eyes.

"Wait, wait, wait," I whispered, pulling back from him. I grabbed his hands and brought them between us, holding them there while I collected my thoughts. If I was going to stand up to him and demand my answers, I needed space to be resistant.

"What?"

I grinned and raised an eyebrow. "Would you care to take a bath with me?"

His brilliant features twisted into confusion. "Right now?"

"Why not?" I coyly asked in return, taking a step back.

He countered with a step forward and crossed his hands behind his back. "Hmm," he hummed. "I'm not dirty." He took another step in my direction, those eyes piercing me with intensity.

I moved backwards and giggled, casually bringing my hand to my mouth. "I beg to differ," I teased, my tone rife with innuendo.

"Hmm . . . You beg to differ, huh?" He moved forward still, and tilted his head to further his assault on me.

With one more step backwards, I found myself firmly pressed against the kitchen wall. He had me cornered, a thought that caught my breath and pushed my heart rate into over drive simultaneously. "I do," I sputtered.

He closed the distance between us and pressed his pelvis against mine, suggesting that waiting wasn't really an option. That devious smile that I'd come to adore flashed across his face as he lifted my hands above my head and held them together by my wrists. His other fingers ghosted down the side of my cheek, ultimately landing on my collarbone. "Then beg," he demanded.

In the frenzy of it all, one fact remained clear as day - I absolutely adored his filthy fucking mouth.

No sooner had the words been uttered than they shot right to my clit. It shook with pure wanton desire. Of course, I wanted to beg him for everything, anything he wanted to give to me. I was all too willing to submit to his every whim, but I promised myself that tonight would not become like every other night we'd spent together. If I was putting my ass on the line for him, I needed to make sure his ass was worth it, and, in that moment, I wasn't sure if it really was or not. Sure the sex was great, but he had been keeping himself so well hidden from me that I didn't exactly know who I'd been sleeping with - a friend or an enemy. Before I opened my heart and allowed myself to admit I was really falling for him, I needed all of the information, even if I had to pry it out of him.

He leaned in and planted kisses down the side of my neck. Damn, that felt good, almost too good. His lips on any part of my skin felt amazing. I could have stood there and let him ravish me all night, and a huge part of me wanted to do just that. But I knew that I couldn't lose my resolve. Tonight was about answers. Point blank.

"Edward," I whimpered, pulling my hands from his grasp. "We need to talk." My tone wasn't light and cheery. It wasn't playful or full of love and adoration. It was stern, heavy, like I was trying to convince myself into 'the talk' as well.

He groaned and took a step back. "Uh oh, I didn't like the sound of that," he teased, giving me a little wink. "What's on your mind?"

I gave him a short laugh and rolled my eyes, crossing my arms in front of me. "A lot."

His lips tightened into a thin line as his eyes trailed over my entire body, making me shiver from the mere piercing nature of his stare. He ran his hands through the back of his hair and grunted a laugh. "A bath it is, then."

I shot him a tiny wink and moved to make my way into the bedroom, unlacing my corset and slipping the heels off my feet as I walked. God, it felt good to be barefoot again. By the time I was completely naked, Edward had only just followed in behind me. My gaze scaled the length of his clothed body, an anxious desire to see what was underneath suddenly overwhelming me.

His hands in his pockets, he looked around my room and sighed. "How did you end up with a better suite?"

I grinned and casually glided my hands over his chiseled stomach, slipping my fingers under his jacket. I ran my palms over his shoulders and upper arms, carefully dragging the jacket off him as I moved down to his wrists. "I have better PR," I teased, giving him a little kiss on the cheek.

The jacket fell to the floor.

"That's incredibly unfair," he complained.

I nibbled on his jaw and brought my hands to his tie, eagerly loosening it to pull it over his head. "Nobody said life was going to be fair."

As I started to undo the buttons on his shirt, he abruptly grabbed my wrists to stop me. "Ms. Swan, what is it that we needed to talk about?"

I gave him a teasing look and jerked his hands from my wrist. "Everything," I explained, pulling on his buttons once more.

"I did consent to a round of questioning, did I not?" he said, more as a reminder to himself than anything else. His annoyed tone was not lost on me. I knew he loathed opening up to anyone, and I'd been trying unsuccessfully for a month now. But he owed me, and he knew it. I pulled his shirt of out of his pants and slid my hands under the fabric, trailing my fingers over his stomach and chest again.

"You did," I confirmed, biting on my bottom lip at the sight before me. Edward Cullen, half naked.

_Yum!_

"And you'd rather attend to that as opposed to -" Instead of finishing his sentence, he cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow to suggest what he wanted to say.

"We've been -" I cleared my throat as well. "- a lot lately," I explained as I dropped to my knees in front of him. I yanked at his leather belt which, in turn, jerked his pelvis closer to me. "Besides, you owe me," I added, slipping the belt through each one of the loops on his pants before throwing it over my shoulder.

"Alright," he said. "I owe you."

I tilted my head back to look up at him, an overzealous grin plastered across my face. "Take off your shoes," I demanded.

He returned my smile and, refusing to break eye contact with me, immediately kicked off each of his dress shoes while I waited patiently at his feet. Once they were off, I gathered them and threw them beside the bed. My fingers crept over his knee caps and danced up his thighs, inching ever so slowly towards the growing bulge in front of my face. I licked my lips and bypassed that entire area all together, teasingly pressing the button to his pants through its hole. My index finger hooked over the top of his zipper and dragged it down at a painfully slow rate; each metal click of the teeth in the zipper like a timer, carefully counting down the seconds until he'd be completely unclothed.

Disrobed, naked and vulnerable - my favorite kind of Edward.

Sure, we'd been together many, many times before, and his flesh was nothing new to me. But there was a certain revealing nature to the way I undressed him tonight, as if each layer of his clothing represented another wall he'd built around himself, and, as each one dropped to the floor, so did all of his restraint and unease.

I'd been bare to him all this time, and only now, as I carefully peeled each layer away, did he finally bare himself to me.

His pants fluttered down his legs soon followed by his boxers, which caused his half erect dick to bounce out right in front of my face. I was incredibly tempted to wrap my lips around that perfect piece of flesh, but it was getting late and he would need to go back to his suite soon, lest he run the risk of getting caught coming out of mine.

Still kneeling at his feet, I wrapped my hands behind his thighs and stared up at him in awe. God, he was beautiful, an exquisite work of art. I almost felt undeserving - _almost. _My tongue darted out of my mouth and ran the length of skin under his cock from base to tip. At the end, I pulled the head into my mouth and sucked as hard as I could until it fell out of my mouth with a loud pop.

_Abso-fucking-lutely delicious._

He hissed and pulled back from me, his hands flying to my shoulders in attempts to keep himself upright. "Damn it, Bella. Don't test me. You want answers, you better get your ass in that tub before you find it up in the air on that bed."

I stood and gave him a flirtatious wink of the eye before turning for the jacuzzi in the bathroom. I turned on the water and plugged the drain, desperately trying to keep the real world from catching up to me. As much as I wanted to block them out, as much as I wanted to forget them all together, Rose's words echoed like a steel drum in the back of my head nonetheless, forcing me to realize the inevitable. Edward was bad news - and I needed to deal with that.  
_  
"It could only mean one thing, Bella. He's done something the government doesn't want anyone to know about - or, perhaps, something he doesn't want anyone to know about."_

I ran some water over my face and shook my head in disbelief. What could he possibly have done? What was lurking in the shadows, waiting to jump out at me? Certainly the worst had already been revealed. Certainly the most damning thing about Edward Cullen was that he was secretly obsessed with me, and had been for a while. Even now, as he folded his clothes in my bedroom, there was this ginormous strain between us - this elephant in the middle of the room. Both of us saw it, but neither had the courage to acknowledge it.

I would kill that elephant tonight - even if it killed me.

As if Rose wasn't bad enough, four little words played over and over in my conscious, a tiny voice that sounded remarkably like Alice.

He shouldn't be here.

Everything was at stake if I got caught and I was dancing dangerously closer to that line every second that this affair continued. We'd be labeled as buffoons, I'd certainly lose my job, and now that the media was on to me, I hardly had anymore privacy for such things. My emotions would need to take a backseat to what I'd worked so hard to gain. I had been telling myself this exact thing the whole time I'd been involved in this affair. For whatever reason, it didn't seem real until that look of hatred flashed through Dean's eyes. He had become much too valuable to my company, I simply couldn't lose him.

And if it came down to working with Dean or fucking Edward - well, Mr. Cullen, I'll have to be seeing you around.

Too bad this was a threat easier said than done.

In a state of shameful humility and self regret, I finally allowed myself to admit that Rose had been right all along.

Suddenly, warm arms wrapped around my waist from behind and soft lips caressed the nape of my neck. "So, you have questions for me?" he asked, inhaling deeply afterward, as if to savor every last bit of me. Did he see this affair ending in the near future as well? Was he getting the same advice from his peers? Was Tanya beating him down as roughly as Rose was doing to me?

"Hmm," I softly hummed, intertwining my fingers in his.

"Ask them quickly, then. I have plans for you this evening."

"It would be wise of you to forget your plans," I teased, turning around to wrap my arms around his neck.

"And why is that?" He pressed his forehead to mine endearingly.

"You might . . . " I leaned in to press my lips to his cheek as my fingers trailed down his chest and stomach. ". . . change your mind."

"I'm not so sure about that. You look more than enticing this evening," he teased, gliding his fingers up the length of my spine. It sent tingling sensations to every part of my anatomy, particularly those begging to give in to his seduction. But I remained strong, nonetheless.

"Behave, Mr. Cullen, or I might have to restrain you." I pulled back from him and stepped into the tub, instantly sinking to my knees and dipping my head under the hot water. When I came back up, Edward was inches from my face with an incredibly curious little smile meant to make me weak in the knees.

"With what?" he hissed, grabbing the back of my knees to yank me closer to him.

"I've packed for twenty days of banquets and ceremonies. I'm certain I could find something to tie you down. Panty hose, denim jeans . . . g-strings."

Edward pushed our bodies to the side of the tub and pressed his lips to my ear, sending a chill down my spine in the process. The connection that radiated between our touching skin was electrifying, tempting me to forgo my entire plan for him this evening. And, as his nails raked down the outside of my thighs, my entire body shook with expectancy, seeming to beg for the situation to escalate.

"And then what would you do?" he whispered, those talented fingers creeping their way up to my hips. The top of his dick rubbed against my clit and I thought I'd lose all grip on reality. He was doing this on purpose, to distract me, to push me away from getting the truth. "Tell me what you would do with me tied up."

Oh god, countless things - evil things. Things that should be illegal in the United States because they were that damned sinful. My mind ran over the thousands of possibilities. Edward - tied up - in my bed. Shit, I'd be tempted to leave his ass there all day so I could go out and do my job knowing he was waiting for me, exactly where I left him. He'd be my reward for a hard day's work.

_"Remain strong, Bella! Strong and assertive," _my subconscious suddenly shouted. _"Make him work for you."_

"Tell me why you started drawing me," I demanded, my voice shaky and forced. He made me incredibly nervous, to a point where it felt exhilarating and gut wrenching at the same time.

He snorted a laugh and pulled back the slightest bit. "You just won't let it go, will you?"

Now was my opportunity. As weak as I was around him and as enticing as I found him, I forced myself to find that old me - to find that Bella who didn't back down from anyone, especially not a man, especially not the enemy. "I'll tell you if you tell me. But you always answer first. That's how this works tonight, got it?"

His eyes narrowed momentarily and I almost started to get defensive. I imagined myself shouting out things like _"you fucking owe me, asshole!" _or _"don't be such a damned coward." _Just as I opened my mouth to say something, anything I could think of, he wrapped his fingers around the back of the my knees and pulled me into him again.

"Making demands now?" he teased, his tongue darting out to lap at the droplets of water forming on his perfect lips.

"Are you saying that you don't want to play my game with me, Mr. Cullen?" I bit my bottom lip and raised an eye brow, half expecting him to get up and leave.

Instead, he gave me a wink and pulled my pelvis closer to his, diggings his fingertips into the soft skin on my hips. "Repeat the question," he whined, squinting his eyes in irritation.

"When and why did you start drawing me?"

He gave a casual laugh and shook his head, looking down to the water as he remembered. "January, this past year. I came home to visit my father. He was still in a meeting, so Tanya had me wait in his office," Edward said.

After a moment when he didn't elaborate, I asked, "And the why?"

He groaned, ran his fingers over his face and sighed. "At first, I couldn't even bring myself to look at you. I knew who you were, of course, and I wanted to hate you so badly." His eyes snapped shut as he told me the story, as if seeing me made it that much harder to confess. "Christ - there you were, perched on the edge of your desk while you taught some girl a program on the computer. That tight little skirt, those stockings, the way your shirt hung over your chest. You looked up at me and flashed this perfect fucking smile, and I just remember thinking that you were possibly the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen - and I instantly hated myself for thinking that. I mean - it's you, for shit's sake." There was a yearning in his eyes, a pain rooted in the constant nagging of his own self conscious. He raised his eyebrows and sighed. "It was the first time I'd actually thought that about someone in a long, long time."

I instantly remembered the night he was referencing. I was in my office, teaching Jessica Stanley how to use the new Customer Relationship Database, when I felt eyes on me. Even then, months ago, his gaze fell on me and I felt it everywhere. I suddenly looked up and there he was, staring at me with that same sense of longing and desire that was no stranger to me. God, he was gorgeous - and I remember thinking just that. But my overwhelming hatred for everything he stood for replaced any tenderness I might have felt for him at the time. I teasingly gave him the sweetest smile I could muster and returned my attention to Jessica, secretly cursing him in the back of my mind.

"Bella, I hadn't touched a pencil to paper in over seven months," he continued. "But that night, I couldn't get the way you looked at me out of my head. I saw it everytime I closed my fucking eyes."

I opened my mouth to respond, but decided to stay quiet and let him finish. I simply had no words for the way he was opening up to me, as if every wall he once built around his heart really was folded into a nice neat little pile on the dresser in my bedroom.

"I left for Spain the next morning," he added. "And who did I see plastered across the cover of _Maxim _magazine on my way out of the country?" Edward shook his head and laughed. "Angel is god-damned centerfold."

I wrapped my hands around his neck and pulled his head a little closer to mine. "I'd make you watch me suck your cock right until you almost came, and then I'd ride you reverse cowgirl until you literally begged for release. Rest assured, Mr. Cullen, if I tied you up, you'd be under my control completely - as would your orgasms."

He didn't miss a beat. "You're a vindictive little minx, aren't you?"

"It's a dog eat dog world out there, especially in this line of work. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Strangely."

The anticipation was damn near strangling me. There was so much I wanted to know, so much that had been eating away at the back of my mind. And now that he was so effortlessly giving his soul away, I had no more reason as to why I couldn't know those things about him. Before my luck could run out, I pushed my hair behind my ears and continued. "Why did you call me in the first place, Edward? How did you get my number?"

Edward licked his lips uncomfortably. "Only two questions into the night, and I'm already regretting playing this game of yours."

"No regrets, Mr. Cullen," I hissed.

Edward sighed and ran his hands over his face almost shamefully. "I paid your security guard for your direct line," he mumbled.

Somehow, I already knew that. It was the only way he'd get it. "Ollie?"

"The one that works at night," Edward confessed, splashing the water around absentmindedly.

"Why?"

Edward raised his eyebrow in response and brought three little fingers out of the water. "That's three questions in a row you owe me."

I beamed at him and ran my hands down his arms, playfully intertwining them in his fingers. "Tell me why, Edward," I demanded.

"Did you miss the answer to your first question entirely, or do you really want me to repeat it? That's why I called you. You interest me, you always have. And when you caught me watching you take your top off and you couldn't have looked more intrigued, I knew I was done - that just sealed the deal as far as I was concerned." He leaned back and dipped his head in the water, giving me a little wink in the process. "When did you have your first dream about me?"

A corner of my mouth tightened into a smile as I replayed the night in my head. I had stopped by the market to do some grocery shopping and there it was, the glossy image of a polished and perfect Edward Cullen wearing a simple white button and black dress pants. At first, I grunted in disgust and continued on my way, thinking that he was nothing more than the enemy's beautiful son - the heir to a fortune he didn't deserve and was too young to help build. But somewhere around the dairy section of the store, I realized I'd spent the majority of the grocery trip thinking about him and what I'd say to him if we ever came face to face. Angry words turned into desperate fantasies - and somehow, I was transported to the studio where they photographed him. We ripped off our clothes and pressed our naked bodies against each other in a fiery and passionate attempt to piss off the world.

By the time I got to the check out, the magazine was buried way down in my cart so no one would see me buy it. Sure, no one knew who I was at the time - but it made me feel a little less shameful to hide it, like he was my secret desire, my closet fantasy. I couldn't get him out of my head that night, or any night there after to be honest.

"_GQ, _last year," I finally confessed, bringing his fingers to my lips. I kissed each knuckle delicately as the realization hit me that, in less than a year, I'd managed to fantasize, fuck and fall in love with that same man I swore I'd always hate.

"And where did we fuck in this fantasy?" he continued.

"The studio where they photographed you."

"In public?" he whispered.

"What do you know? Asshole is a goddamned centerfold," I added with a small chuckle. "And does your family know about your dirty little passion for drawing?"

"Tanya does, my brother does."

"What do they think?"

"That I just want you because of who you are - what you've always been to me. And who knows? They're probably right."

I nodded my head in understanding and pursed my lips. "Was it this renewed creativity that sparked your return home from Europe?"

"Don't flatter yourself, Bella. It was my father's retirement that brought me home."

"What were you doing over there to begin with?"

His eyes met mine with intensity, as if he was analyzing every crease of stress on my face and looking for a sign of weakness - some way he could weasel around this question. But I remained cold as stone. He had evaded the truth for far too long now, and I simply couldn't allow the secrecy to go on any longer. If he was in this, then he needed to be in this as much as I was.

After a long pause, he finally whispered, "Why is_ that _important for you to know?"

To which I immediately responded, "Why is it important for you to keep it from me?" I wasn't missing a beat with him tonight.

He simply raised an eyebrow and shot me that look that demanded a response.

I groaned and leaned back, allowing my body to float across the water to the other side of the tub. "You should hear the things Dean says about you," I teased, allowing a small laugh to fall from my lips.

Edward chuckled and ran his hands over his face. "Well, he certainly does have a propensity for exaggeration, does he not?" He shook his head and looked me square in the eyes. "I was securing business associates, Bella. Partners, buyers, clients and the like," he answered coolly, tilting his head to the side. "What do you think of the things Dean says about me?"

"I'm not sure if I should believe them," I confessed, honestly. There appeared to be no reason to lie to him. "Should I?"

Edward sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "That's up to you to decide."

My eyes narrowed suspiciously. What exactly _did _Edward do in Europe that Dean found so distasteful? Why would Dean refer to Edward's actions there as "raping and pillaging"? Why take it that far? Certainly Edward knew, for Dean was not the type of man to keep quiet when he was upset about something. He seemed to face confrontation head on, tackling the beast into submission. For Edward to keep so hush-hush about the whole thing was rather odd. The side of my mouth twisted into a tiny grin as I continued. "Do you know his motives, Edward; why he's spreading rumors about you?"

"I imagine -" Edward's smile intensified as he reached over and pressed the button for the jets. He cranked the pressure up to full force before returning his stare to me and raising an eyebrow incredulously. "-it's the same reason he's spreading them about you."

I pushed my back further into the magnificent stream of pressure shooting from the twenty vents behind me. "Which is?" I urged.

Edward shrugged and shook his head, his jaw falling open in that absentminded way it typically did when he found himself speechless. After a few minutes of apparent internal struggle, he dropped his gaze to the water and smiled. "The man's a twit, Bella. A pompous dickhead with the spending power of a God. Anything he wants, he gets. My company, my reputation, you. He'll get it all someday if he tries hard enough."

"So, let me get this straight," I started with a laugh. "He's spreading rumors about you because he wants your company and he's spreading them about me because he wants to fuck me? Did I get the gist of that?"

Edward slowly nodded. "Or, at least, that's what I suspect."

"Well, that's ridiculous," I croaked. "How would spreading rumors about me make me attracted to him?"

Edward shrugged indifferently and leaned his head back against the cool, porcelain tub. "I didn't say it was a good plan, only that it might be what he's thinking. He's playing games, Bella. Everything's a contest to him."

I laughed and dipped my hair in the hot water again. "And the media is his most prestigious puppet," I added with a sense of final understanding.

"You didn't honestly think they came up with your torrid affair by themselves, did you?" Edward continued with a devilish little grin.

My eyes reached Edward's again and he winked, intensifying that beautiful grin I'd come to adore. His words somehow hit home, like they'd made sense all along if only I had spent the time to think of it. The media didn't even know who I was before that banquet, they didn't even care about the technology world. But now that Dean had thrust me to the forefront of this entire operation, it wouldn't be long before _everything _about my personal life was out in the open. I was surprised they hadn't contacted my mother for an interview yet.

We'd been sitting here spilling our deepest darkest secrets to one another, and through it all, I couldn't help but feel incredibly on edge, as if he'd pounce on me any second. If I wanted to, I knew I could make him sit here all night and talk about whatever subject came to mind, and he would try to avoid the uncomfortable questions as best as possible until he grew tired of my persistence and ultimately spilled his guts.

But I knew, as well anyone, that all of this 'cooperation' was for one resounding purpose. There was this lion inside of Edward, this ferocious beast that had been silently biding its time until I weakened my defenses long enough for him to attack - and he would eventually. The only question was when.

What I didn't know in that moment was which kind of attack I needed to prepare to face. Would he grow bored and antsy with my endless interrogation, thus invoking the playful side of this lion? Or would he get agitated with the amount of information he was being coerced to reveal? Would I conjure a savage, ruthless beast instead?

I pondered that thought for a moment and reluctantly shook my head.

Edward had plans for me tonight, plans that most likely involved acts of sinful pleasure and fabulous skin-to-skin contact. And he'd get that sooner rather than later if I allowed these sort of thoughts to continue.

"Edward -" I started, licking my lips playfully. "Do you know why Dean has taken such a liking to me?"

His lips twisted into a crooked grin, those eyes sparkling with the reflection of the water. "Uh uh, Ms. Swan. I've counted - well, I've actually lost count of how many you owe me, but I do know that it is my turn," he teased.

"Well, go on then," I murmured in defeat, readjusting the vent behind me to blow on my lower back. "_But don't think I'm going to forget about that question," _my conscious angrily added.

Edward moved closer to me and pried himself in between my knees, hovering over my body as he brought those beautiful lips to my collarbones. "Tell me about the craziest sex you've ever had - with someone other than me, of course," he whispered, coaxing my flesh into goose pimples as those lips continued to ghost up my neck to my ear.

My cheeks involuntarily flushed with embarrassment. "Okay, crazy weird or crazy good?"

He playfully responded with an assertive, "Both."

I rolled my eyes as flashes of countless encounters ran through my head. I wasn't promiscuous by any means, but I'd certainly had my fair share of experiences. "I suppose, when I was in high school, I _might _have screwed my boyfriend on a trampoline in front of the entire party."

Edward laughed and raked his fingers down the outside of my legs. "And was that weird or good for you?"

I winked and bit my bottom lip. "Both."

"Alright," he conceded, rolling to the left side of my body. He wrapped his fingers around my right ankle and hoisted it into the air effortlessly, pointing to a jagged scar on my lower calf. "How did this happen?"

"When I was eight. I was on a camping trip with my father, one of the first times I'd seen him after he left my mom. I fell over a log," I explained, regaling the tale with a small giggle.

He nodded and then pointed to a spot on the bottom of my wrist. "And this one?"

"Went through a glass window. Jake and I were wrestling. I needed twenty stitches."

Edward scooted closer to my body and pressed his hand to the inside of my thigh, cupping the very spot I knew he'd ask about next. "And this?" he cooed.

"Birthmark."

He leaned in to kiss me, and for a brief moment, I allowed myself to give into it. I desperately wanted to taste those lips and relish in what could possibly be our last night together. But my conscious wouldn't allow that and demanded I push forward. "Why does Dean want me so bad?" I whispered, his lips merely centimeters from mine.

Slowly sliding his hand up the inside of my thigh, he whispered, "Probably for the same reasons I do." Edward laughed and shook his head. "No, no," he corrected. "It's the opposite, in fact. He mostly likely sees you as a threat and wants to tame you before you attack."

"And that's not how you see me?"

"No," Edward answered, sincerely. "Not at all."

I involuntarily started giggling. I couldn't help it. I tried to hold it inside, to keep it from busting at the seams, but it escaped my lips nonetheless.

"What? Why are you laughing at me?" he retorted, pulling away slightly.

"_You _don't see _me_ as a threat? Then, how do you see me? As a subordinate?"

"An equal, of course," he whispered, bringing my knuckles to his lips for a brief kiss. "If you and I came together, Bella." He started laughing and rolled his eyes, seemingly lost in the possibilities. "We could take over the world. You know this, right?"

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. What exactly was he saying? Was he thinking about a future with me? Whoa, whoa, whoa. Take a step back, here. Just what the hell was he saying? I could barely get this man to talk about his life, let alone what was going on with us. And NOW he's talking "what if we came together", and "how powerful a union we would be." Had he completely lost his flipping mind?

Granted, he did have a certain point. If I united with the Cullens and somehow brought Dyco Tech and Jenks with me, well then we'd just be fucking unstoppable. Edward and I would own the world within a year - maybe even months. Once I did take a minute to actually think about it, he _was _right. If we came together, there'd be nothing - NOTHING - strong enough to bring us down.

. . . _Wait a minute._

_. . . Hold the phone._

_. . . Did I really just think that? _

What was I saying? That's ludicrous! I'd never get away with that - Jenks wouldn't go for it in a million years. He had spent the last twenty years building a certain distaste in his mouth for the likes of Carlisle and his family. I can't imagine that would change now. Besides, an hour ago, I was thinking I needed to push Edward away for the time being - to get my answers and run. Now, I was contemplating an uncertain and possibly detrimental future with him as my copilot? I needed a swift kick in the ass to get my head back on straight. Where the hell was Alice when you needed her?

Laughing at my internal ramblings, I shook my head and raised my eyebrows at him. "You and I?" I repeated.

"Is that so hard for you to believe?"

I nodded my head and snorted a quiet laugh. "As a matter of fact."

"And why is that?" His eyes narrowed in on me, analyzing every detail of my face.

"Carlisle and Jenks would never go for that in a million years - and you know that." I instantly retorted. "Besides, you scare the living crap out of me."

He instantly started chuckling and leaned in to kiss me. "Why would I scare you?" he joked. It seemed genuine, sincere, as if the thought of him being scary or malicious in anyway was absolutely blasphemous.

"Let's be honest," I started, brushing my fingers down the side of his cheek. "You've just admitted to drawing me for the last seven months, you've been watching me from your room across the street for the last three, and your cousin does nothing but warn me about you every time I see her. On top of all of that, as if that wasn't enough, you've researched me, read my work, pulled my credit information, acquired a background check on me. You know intimate details of my life, Edward, and a month ago, you were an enemy to me - the heir to the Cullen dynasty."

"Yes, well, I suppose - when you put it like that, it sounds rather -"

"Oh, but it's so much more than that, Edward. Us, coming together, is a bad idea. It wouldn't work. It wouldn't be possible. Your father has spent a lifetime building an empire against Jenks. They hate each other. When _this _comes out, and it seems inevitable at this point, it's going to be devastating. Do you know that? Have you fully thought this through?"

Suddenly, something switched in him and his entire face dropped entirely. His eyebrows turned down, his lips softened and his tongue darted in and out of his mouth anxiously. He pulled away from me and forced a smile. "You're right," he whispered. "I shouldn't have brought it up."

I should have known then that something was wrong.

I should have realized the change in him, the instant submission, the loss of the will to fight.

He gave in so easily. It was so unlike him.

Perhaps he really hadn't thought this through all the way, perhaps he had only grazed the surface of the implications of our actions, or - perhaps - he had expected me to be on board with him, to welcome the idea of us going public, either professionally or personally. Maybe he hadn't anticipated my complete dismissal of the entire suggestion. But most likely, this was the very first time Edward realized that what we started out as, this feral and insatiable lust, was all we'd ever be. Considering everything I knew of him at the moment, that knowledge probably twisted his insides, infuriating and depressing him most of all.

It was at this moment that I fully comprehended how differently we had been viewing each other over the course of our affair. Edward had studied and watched my every move for the last year, and it probably wouldn't be a stretch to say he fell in love with me well before he'd ever even met me. He saw me as this unattainable and forbidden perfection that he would simply never be allowed to have. Perhaps that even made me more tempting to him.

And me - well, I'd always hated him. Or at least, tried to. Sure, I thought he was gorgeous and his smile was the most fantastic thing I'd ever seen, but he was the _enemy - _the absolute opposite of everything I represented. I'd worked my ass off to get where I was, sacrificing even the most basic of human desires to achieve it. And at the time, I thought he'd simply been given his position by his aging father. Some part of me always resented him for that.

But, as I sat there in the tub with him, I couldn't help but feel like that wasn't true. My opinion had done a complete one eighty. Aside from the Technology bill he put into action here in the States, he'd spent a great deal of his career thus far in Europe, supposedly "acquiring business contracts." Regardless of what he was actually doing over there, something in his work apparently impressed Carlisle and thus propelled his promotion over another board member who'd likely been there longer and had more experience. It could no longer be said that he'd been given everything he had, because he had definitely put his education and societal power to good use and had done what he could to make a reputation for himself. Was it really his fault that he rode on the infamous coat tails of his last name?

The jets suddenly stopped and drew me away from my internal struggle. My attention immediately adjusted to Edward, who laughed and ran his hands over his face. "I need a drink," he groaned. "What about you?" He stood and stepped out of the tub, grabbing a towel from the wall to wrap around his waist before walking into the bedroom and heading for the kitchen.

I pursed my lips and considered how long we sat there in silence following his breakdown. Had it been seconds? Minutes? How awkward had they been for him while I silently pondered the depths of his affection for me? I honestly couldn't be sure. I stood, twisted the water out of my hair and followed behind him, wrapping a towel under my arms as I walked through the bedroom to the kitchenette. Right as I entered, Edward was grabbing two tiny liquor bottles from the miniature bar. He looked up at me, grinning from ear to ear, and handed me a tiny bottle of Grey Goose.  
_  
Smart man._

Cracking open a "fun-sized" Jim Bean himself, Edward shot me a wink and raised the bottle to his lips, downing all of the liquor in one gulp.  
_  
Answer to how long we'd sat in silence - most likely seconds.  
Answer to how awkward it had been for him - __very._

I took a sip of Grey Goose and sat down at the tiny breakfast counter separating the living room from the kitchenette, unsure of what to say or where to go from here. Was he upset with my rant? Did he now think our affair was useless and idiotic? Was he beating himself up nearly half as much as I was?

Edward leaned across the counter with his elbows and crossed his hands in front of me. "I've got a different game for you, Ms. Swan," he murmured in that low, sexy tone, the one that always sent shivers down my back and make the skin on my nipples harden with attention. "It's called, 'I Never.' Have you ever played that?"

_"I Never"? _It was definitely not a game I knew, but that didn't mean I wasn't willing to entertain the idea. "What exactly does that entail?"

Edward rubbed his hand over his mouth and smiled. "A virgin, huh? Perfect." He flashed that crooked grin and shot me a wink before turning around to grab several other bottles from the mini-fridge and placing them on the side of the table. "So, one of us will say something like 'I've never . . . I don't know . . . fucked my enemy', and whoever _has_ done that, has to drink. In this case, we both drink."

My eyes never breaking from Edwards, I brought the Grey Goose to my lips and took another sizable gulp. He cracked open another Jim Bean and brought it to his lips as well, wincing afterward from the mild whiskey sting. "So, now it's your turn. You get to ask me something about the "I Never" statement I just made."

One side of my mouth pulled upward at what instantly went through my mind. "Why are you fucking your enemy?"

"Well, it's not the smartest idea I ever had. But isn't it fun?" he teased, walking around the breakfast bar to sit in the stool right next to me. "Besides, what's life without a little risk?"

"This is quite the risk," I added.

"Why are you fucking your enemy?"

I took a deep breath and looked to my lap, honestly not knowing the right thing to say. "I've been asking myself the same thing for almost month now. I just -" I closed my eyes and sighed. How exactly would I put this? What were the right words? "I can't stay away from you."

"Is that why you said you were spoiled goods?"

"Oh, you remember that, huh?" I joked with a little giggle.

"I remember just about everything you've ever said to me."

"Yeah, that's me," I conceded in a whisper. "Spoiled goods."

Without another word, Edward leaned across the counter and slid an unopened Grey Goose bottle in my direction. "Well, spoiled goods, now you think of something you've never done."

There were a thousand things I could have said, a million questions left unanswered between us. But the first thing that came to mind was, "I've never been in love," and so those were the words that fell from my lips. I instantly regretted it. I should have held off longer, I shouldn't have brought that subject up so quickly. But after what Edward said in the tub, I just had to know. It had been kept under wraps for so long now that I simply couldn't avoid the issue any longer. I should have given him time to get comfortable with me again, I should have allowed the conversation to naturally evolve into this topic, but apparently my tongue was quicker than my logic tonight.

Edward swiftly recovered his wit and responded with a solemn, "Nor have I."

My eyes instantly snapped up to meet his. "Are you lying?"

His jaw squared in resistance, almost expecting a battle. "No," he teased. "Are you?"

I shook my head and sighed. I suppose I was expecting quite a different response. Perhaps I expected him to own up to his affections for me, get down on his knees and gravel. But even the smallest part of me knew that was childish. "So, then why did you call me Galatea, if you are not Pygmalion, the king who fell in love with his art?" I suddenly snapped.

His face crinkled in embarrassment, like he had secretly been hoping that I'd forgotten all about that. Much to his dismay, I hadn't and, even though the mythological reference was lost on me when he initially said it, one google search brought eighth grade world history rushing back.

"Perhaps I called you Galatea because you come to life in my presence," he explained, casually picking at the bottle label on his whiskey.

Something in his eyes told me otherwise. That distinctive vulnerability had found its way back to that soft skin surrounding those emerald pools of intensity and I could tell he was hiding the truth. He wouldn't outright lie to me, but he wouldn't be honest either. This was going to take some coaxing. "Let me tell you this. The fact that you've made it so far in this business is remarkable. You're a horrible liar," I joked. "But rest assured, Mr. Cullen, I see right through you."f

"You do?" he retorted in that playful tone. "And what do you see when you look right through me?"

I coyly smiled and pulled a little tighter on the robe wrapped around my body, readjusting the barrier between us. "A scared man - scared of anyone knowing the real him and scared of anyone discovering his demons. What went through your mind when I opened the briefcase? What did you think when you rounded that corner and saw me standing there in the skywalk?" I asked seriously, my eyes narrowing in on him. If looks could kill, Edward would have been laying in a puddle of his own blood right now. "Did you feel relieved to have that weight off your chest? Or were you pissed that you were less of a mystery to me? Because I'm betting it's more of the latter. You're afraid of me knowing who you really are, for whatever reason." I laughed awkwardly and rolled my eyes in confusion. "And that probably has something to do with my chosen career path. Am I getting a little warmer here?"

Edward opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it and immediately shut down. His shoulders slumped, his eyes slowly closed, and he brought that little Jim Bean bottle to his lips again, topping off his third of the night. "Why haven't you ever been in love, Bella? And don't tell me it's because of your career. That's bullshit."

"Don't change the subject, Edward," I snapped, following his lead in topping off my bottle as well.

"Don't avoid the question, Bella," he immediately hissed, sliding another mini Grey Goose to me.

"Honestly?" I cracked open the bottle and took another sizable drink. "Men are idiots, and it's been my experience that the better they are in bed, the more intellectually disinclined they tend to be once they open their mouth to talk, and vice versa. You know, the male human body only has so much blood. It can't be everywhere at once."

Edward instantly cracked into ginormous laughter and leaned back in his stool to run his hands through his hair. "I'm not scared, Bella - I've just . . . seen a lot in my short twenty something years," he explained. "Besides, my family causes more me stress than what a human should reasonably be privy to; it shouldn't be any of your concern."

I started to ask him to unload on me, to tell me all that he could, to find some way to be comfortable with me, but before I could even form the syllables, he spoke again and brought my attention back to why we had started talking to begin with. "I've never hosted sex toy parties," he started with a chuckle, poking my Grey Goose bottle with his index finger as if to suggest that I drink up.

I raised an eyebrow at him and tossed back another shot of vodka.

"What was that like?" he asked.

"It was fun, most of the time. Sex brings out a completely different side of people," I explained.

He leaned in a little closer to me and whispered, "Indeed it does."

"What made you think to ask that?"

"I had your treasure chest delivered to your room this morning, discreetly, of course."

"Part of your plans for this evening, I assume," I asked with another drink of vodka.

Edward nodded his head once and laughed, taking a sip of whiskey.

I downed the rest of my Grey Goose and tossed the empty bottle next to the others, my mind beginning to twirl with the first signs of inebriation. "Which were?" I whispered.

Edward turned to face me and wrapped his fingers under my stool to drag it closer to him. Our gaze locked on each other and, suddenly, I was begging for this game to be over. The entire atmosphere surrounding us shifted from stifling awkwardness to indescribable sexual tension. Somehow, being that much closer to him had set off this demanding surge of passion inside of me. Every nerve in my body came to life and shot electric currents through all of my extremities. I felt invincible, like the world, Jenks, Carlisle, no one could touch us. We were somehow in our own little universe - and I would have given anything to stay there forever.

"Hmm . . . I could tell you -" he mused, leaning into me and pressing his forehead to mine. His fingers coasted over my shoulders and down my arms, causing chills to soar through the length of my spine. He brought his lips closer to mine and whispered, "- but then I'd have to kill you."

"In that case, I have one final question," I stammered, my heart beginning to pound in my chest. I could feel it everywhere, from the balls of my feet all the way up my back to the base of my head. Edward's lips millimeters from mine, I could literally feel his breath ghost across my chin which forced me to actively resist sticking my tongue out to taste his perfect pink skin. "Tell me how long you've loved me."

His entire body froze at my question, preparing to retract any second. His head pulled away slightly, his fingers clamped down on my arms and I could sense that he was getting ready to shut down. I couldn't let him do that. I had him exactly where I wanted him, needed him, to be. He _had _to answer this, especially after what he brought up earlier. My hands instantly shot to the back of his head, intertwining in his thick bronze locks to hold his face near mine. Our lips were so close, almost touching, and the heat radiating off them only tempted me more. Still, he remained silent, shocked. "Tell me, Edward," I demanded again.

"Too long -" he started to respond, but I wouldn't let him go any further. As soon as I heard any kind of positive answer, my lips connected with his in a mind blowing embrace. He'd finally admitted it to me, he'd finally told me the truth, and, GOD, how extraordinary that moment was. In fact, extraordinary doesn't begin to cover it. I somehow felt as though I had waited my whole life for this very kiss. It was passionate and loving and sweet, yet aggressive and drenched in our need to be around each other. Just having his gaze fall upon me sent my heart rate sky rocketing and now that our lips had finally come together with undying passion, it was sure to flat line any second. The fact that I now knew his true feelings for me only amplified every single reaction in my body. My pupils dilated more than normal, my breathing was damn near painful, and anytime that tongue of his swished across my bottom lip, I felt like I could come on the spot.

Because he was my enemy and mortal foe, I had hated him for so long - and now I hated him even more because of his affections for me and what that would mean for my future at Dyco Tech. But, on the other hand, because of what we'd experienced together over this last month, I couldn't help but love every single fucking thing about him, including the fact that he was my enemy, including his obsession with me, including every single mystery that he had alluded to but never fully explained. I loved it all. And now that I knew he loved me in return, I was so full of emotion and adoration for him that the world could have came crashing around my feet and I wouldn't have even moved.

I pulled myself into his lap and wrapped my arms behind his neck, holding on to this connection for as long as he would allow it. His fingers released their death grip on my shoulders and danced down the side of my body, ultimately clamping onto my hips. As our lips coaxed each other into a frenzy, his dick responded under me with a simple twitch. I rubbed against it, grinding it to attention. The soft towel rubbed against my clit and mixed our sinful experience with a build up of extreme pleasure. My head was spinning but that didn't diminish anything I was experiencing, it seemed to add to it.

Edward moaned against my mouth just as his cock responded with another twitch. He was growing harder by the second, more excited, more anxious, and nothing could have thrilled me more.

"And how long have you loved me?" he whimpered, breaking away just long enough to ask before crashing his lips against mine again. Amazing! He tasted so damned delectable, and the way he held my body so fucking close to him only made me shiver harder with anticipation. His finger slipped underneath the towel around my chest and pulled, the fabric instantly fluttering to the floor, exposing me completely to him.

"Oh god. Minutes, days, weeks, who fucking knows anymore," I managed to sputter.

He reached between us and pushed his towel away, allowing his now fully erect dick to bounce freely toward me. It only took a matter of seconds before I felt that perfect piece of muscle begging for entrance between my folds, sending a shot of adrenaline coursing through my veins. It was an outstanding rush, something I'd only ever experienced with Edward. Our lips met just as I angled my hips toward him, guiding his cock ever so slowly inside of me. The stretch was marvelous, outdone only by the feel of his fiery skin on my nipples as I pulled myself closer to him.

One arm wrapped behind his neck and the other hand on his shoulder, I jerked him into me as far as he could go, moaning at the sheer bliss our connection was able to bring. We'd been together countless times, and each time was better than the one before it, but this - this was indescribable. The tenderness in the way he kissed me, the devotion emanating from the depths of his eyes, it was enough to pull me under, and it nearly did after only a few seconds.

Nothing had ever been as delicate or as loving as this experience. He pulled me into him, clinging to my hips as those soft lips fluttered down my neck and shoulders. His name fell from my lips in a whisper, my back arching harder into him with each surge of ecstasy and emotion that flowed through me. My hands fell behind me, holding onto his knees for support. It was all I could do not to fall apart on him.

I had never felt anything like this before.

Never.

How . . . _unfair. _

My entire body shuddered at the thought. We had only just admitted to being completely smitten with the other, and sure, there were things about Edward that I still didn't know, but he had opened up to me tonight - he would do it again if I were to ask. We could have a million other nights, just like this. Ones where we could actually talk and laugh and act like a real couple before fucking our brains out.

But I knew, beyond a reasonable doubt, that idea was never truly feasible This affair had to end, at least sexually.

Suddenly everything I was experiencing seemed so bittersweet. I would tell Edward I loved him only to tell him we had to leave each other alone. I honestly didn't know when the next time we could meet up would be. The press would only be more intense in Baltimore, and by the time we got to Orlando, Jenks would be tagging along for the rest of the ride. These conventions would only get bigger as we got to the larger cities, ultimately meaning that our secret affair was simply not possible any longer.

Another thrust inside of me and the stool squealed underneath our weight, perhaps threatening to give out any second.

Edward placed a tiny kiss on my nipple and laughed, his hot breath spilling across the goose pimpled flesh on my stomach.

"I asked the maid to put the chest under your bed," he murmured, meeting my gaze with a look that screamed 'let's play.'

I gave him another kiss and climbed off him and the stool, practically prancing into the bedroom with excitement. I pulled the box from under the bed and placed it on the mattress, glancing at Edward as I stood to open it. But before I could even get the latch undone, he wrapped his arms around me from behind and raked his fingers down the center of my stomach, eventually burying them between my legs.

And I damn near collapsed on the bed.

His touch was simply knee buckling. Circling my clit with one hand, he used the other to push me over the edge of the bed by my shoulders. I fell to my elbows on the mattress, bent over and completely vulnerable to him. That hand on my shoulder traveled from the base of my neck to the back of my head, gripping a handful of hair. He brought his lips to my ear and jerked my head toward him, the heat from his body radiating across my back. He leaned over and whispered the filthiest, fucking sexiest thing I'd ever heard him say to this date. "I said I loved you, but that didn't mean I wasn't going to fuck you properly."

And that right there, ladies and gentlemen, is why the fuck I fell in love with Edward Cullen - my equal, my counterpart, my enemy.

Because he says things like that and they hit me straight in the girlie parts.

Because he refuses to take anything for granted.

Because he throws himself completely into anything he sets his sights on - especially yours truly.

Because the one time he left me not properly fucked - he came back to finish the job merely hours later.

And I was prepared to think of a hundred other reasons why I finally allowed myself to admit that I adored him, but the soft hum of a vibrator being turned on halted any further reasoning ability. I turned to look over my shoulder only to have Edward lean down and plant his lips on mine. I moaned from the sudden contact, but found myself speechless when he reached around and put the vibrator in my hand. "You handle this," he teased. I rocked into his pelvis and pressed the vibrator to my clit, everything about it sending my nerves into overdrive.

He pulled back from me and stood to rummage around the chest again. Assuming he would find something harmless to entertain himself, I closed my eyes and rocked into the vibrator, half enjoying it and half putting on a show for him. What I didn't expect next was the cool, liquidy sensation of the lube as he squeezed it over my bottom, making sure to coat both holes thoroughly.

_Uh oh._

I knew he'd ask before he did outlandish, but somehow, I already knew what was coming - he didn't even have to actually say the words.

My quick fire mind began to rationalize, thinking of exactly what I should do or say. Surely, I couldn't say no. Surely, I couldn't turn him down. In fact, doing anything that involved my backdoor usually scared the crap out of me - but with him, it actually turned me on. I knew he'd never hurt me. I knew I could trust him here, if not anywhere else. The bedroom had always been neutral territory in our book, the place where I found immense and unconditional confidence in our relationship.

And because of that, I would let him do whatever he wanted to me.

He moved some things around in my chest again before leaning over me and pressing his lips to my ear. "Bella," he hissed.

I moaned in response, bucking my hips into his, begging for his entrance again.

"Do you want to play?" he whispered, and my ears perked right the fuck up.

_Play with what . . . exactly?_

One look to the objects in his hand clarified everything. A blind fold and a string of anal beads.

My heart jumped and I almost couldn't help the gasp that formed in the back of my throat. Was he serious?

My brain was already pushing itself into a frenzy, attempting any sort of rational thought.

_"Calm down," _I told myself. _"He'd never hurt me."_

And so I nodded my head and looked up to him, allowing a tiny smile to come to my face.

"Trust me," he whispered, placing the blindfold over my eyes, and somehow, I managed to do just that. I dropped all of my inhibitions and figuratively let go. I trusted him more in this moment than I ever had before, and perhaps ever would. "Just focus on how it feels."

Darkness. Nothingness. Vulnerability. I was going on my senses of touch and hearing alone. The thud of Edward's feet hitting the floor. The hum of the vibrator as I pressed it to my swollen flesh. The smooth, wet sensation of the lube running down my folds and inner thighs.

Edward raked his fingers down my spine and over each side of my ass, dragging his fingers so lightly down the skin in between. He set my nerves on fire, each and every tingling sensation shooting through my entire body like a drug. I perked at his touch and arched into him, literally begging for him to shove his cock back inside of me.

And he so willingly obliged. Before I knew it, his dick was pumping in and out of me, slowly, delicately, hitting my G-Spot with each thrust. This sensation mixed with what the vibrator was doing to my clit almost pushed me to come right there. But it was the subtle inching of his finger towards my vacant hole that held my attention most of all. Every centimeter that it moved increased the anticipation building in my gut tenfold, until finally, he whispered "relax" and pushed his finger in the slightest bit.

I simply can not describe the phenomenon that occurred inside of me at that exact moment. It was somewhat startling, somewhat painful, but mostly the best fucking thing I've ever experienced. I could feel his finger slide deeper inside of me, completely fulfilling me, and all the while his cock continued to massage my G-Spot, forcing away any restraint and nervousness left in my body.

It was then that I relaxed completely. I pushed back on him and moaned, fully giving myself to him in every way possible.

"More," I whimpered. "Fucking more."

That was a demand he did not fail to fulfill. With another push of his finger and dick inside of me, I felt my inhibitions give way - leaving nothing but one hundred percent pure vulnerable Bella in it's place. Another finger slipped inside of me, and there went any hesitation I ever had about doing this. It felt incredible, the most alive and electrifying encounter I'd ever had.

And just as I was getting used to the pain and the beauty of it all, Edward removed his fingers and pulled out of me completely. I groaned in his absence, instantly missing the full sensation I'd come to adore. It was like my body was suddenly missing a limb or a vital organ. But before I could whine about it, Edward's warm lips pressed to the side of my ass and gave my oversensitive flesh a small kiss.

Then, for a few heart pounding seconds, there was nothing. Edward didn't move, he didn't touch me, he didn't dig in the chest. The only thing I could hear was the humming of the vibrator between my legs and the beat of my pulse coursing adrenaline laced blood through every muscle in my body. I was about to panic.

I mean, what would I really do if he just left me here like this?

Ass up, blindfold on, lubricated girlie bits.  
_  
Oh, I'd be so pissed. _

But just as I was about to take the linen off my eyes and turn around, I felt one of his hands creep over the back of my thighs, up my ass and latch onto my hip. He pushed his cock back into me again, causing a sound somewhat like a yelp and a moan to escape my lips. "I thought you'd -"

I couldn't even answer before the first bead on the strand slid into me.

Compared to his fingers, it was nothing.

But he wasted no time in pushing the second and the third in.

And my back arched off the mattress further than it ever had before.

_Holy fucking hell! _

I could feel the beads moving in rhythm with his dick inside of me, each sensation perfect and fluid - filling me to brim with fabulous rapture. The experience was so sensual, so delicate and precious, yet so animalistic and raw. I felt loved and fucked all at the same time, adored yet brutally ravished, satisfied yet utterly famished.

"How are you doing down there?" he breathlessly groaned, the sound of his deep, velvet voice bringing a whole new level to my euphoria. All of this was amazing because it was him, because I was experiencing it with Edward. If it had been anyone else, I'm not sure I would have even gone along with the idea, let alone embraced it the way I seemed to be doing.

Alas, here I was, blindfolded and bent over, three - and now four - bead lengths into a toy session with my major competitor.

And how I fucking loved it.

"Excellent," I groaned. "More."

With the slightest stretch, he slowly pushed the beads into me further. I squealed in response, not entirely sure which feeling was more predominant - the pain of this new experience or the insane pleasure it induced when mixed with the feeling of his cock inside of me.

The overwhelming sensation of it all shot right through me. I felt at home, as if everything I was doing was completely natural. The only problem was that it wasn't - and in twenty four hours, I'd be kicking the shit out of myself for allowing this to go on as long as it did. Only long enough to fall in love, to finally feel that rush of self induced hysteria. And, my oh my, how drastically that rush had changed me.

He had become a drug to me, and with each press of his lips or rake of his fingers, I succumbed to pure guilt ridden ecstasy.

He pressed his lips to the nape of my neck and pushed into me harder, allowing me to engulf him entirely. "Fuck, Bella," he hissed.  
_  
Fuck, indeed.  
_  
And we were both fucked.

How could I let myself get this involved? Just how did I plan to walk away from this?

Edward's talented fingers pulled me closer to him, grasping at any flesh he could find. We were entranced, not even needing to speak to convey just how we felt. For both of us knew. It was present everywhere. The way my skin tingled when he touched me, the way my nipples nearly begged for his lips to envelope them, but particularly the way he said my name and the tiny reverberations of those words shuttered through my very being - it all furthered my undying devotion to him. The beads rubbed against my skin rubbing against his dick. It was such a fucking amazing feeling that I was sure I was about to come any second.

"Don't stop," I moaned, pushing harder against him, egging him on further.

"Damn it, Bella. Do you know what you fucking do to me?" he murmured, his fingers digging deeper into my hips.

"Tell me, Edward."

"I try to leave you alone, to forget all about you," he started, thrusting into me with much more power, much more intensity. "But your tight little pussy, your perfect little ass, those soft moans, everything about you brings me right the fuck back here." Suddenly, his palm wrapped around a bunch of my hair and pulled my head back towards him again. "And by 'right the fuck back here,' I mean _here, _Bella. Behind you, on top of you, underneath you. Fuck, I'll take you anyway I can get you."

I moaned as those words hit me straight in the gut with a strange mixture of arousal and pride. Part of me wanted to cry, because - damn - this cat loved the shit out of me. But part of me was so incredibly turned on by what he was saying, and, fortunately, that was the part that spoke up. "And which way do you prefer?"

He hummed, pulled out of me and flipped me over, instantly pulling my torso to the edge of the bed. He wrapped my legs around his waist and leaned down to bring his lips crashing into mine. "I like to see your face when I make you come harder than you ever have," he snarled, instantly sliding his cock inside of me again, stretching me and fulfilling me in extraordinary bliss. The pressure of his cock pressing against the beads was incredible. They rubbed together, creating an indescribable friction deep down inside of me.

A few more thrusts into it and a bundle of energy began to form in the pit of my pelvis. I started to realize that I was bordering that edge between logic and 'losing-my-damned-mind,' when, suddenly, every muscle in my body clenched and my eyes snapped shut. My nails dug into the skin of his shoulder blades, my vision went white and a deep moan rattled from the base of my stomach. My orgasm exploded through every bone in my body, causing me to lose all sense of reality and leaving me completely exasperated.

Where were we?  
When were we?  
_Who _were we?

When I finally remembered the answers to those questions, Edward was staring at me, a beautiful smile streched from ear to ear across his face. "I don't believe I've ever heard you make a noise like that before," he joked, slowing down his pace momentarily.

Another moan escaped from the back of my throat as I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my forehead to his. "I don't believe you've ever fucked me like that before."

Edward laughed and rocked into me again and again, but I was already numb from my climax, every part of my body overwhelmed from the experience. He pumped into me, my shoulders acting as leverage for him to go as deep as he liked. "Look at me, Bella," he whispered.

My gaze instantly shot to his, locking in on that intensity that had hooked me from the very beginning. And what I saw there nearly brought tears to my eyes. It was the first time he looked at me and I knew, deep down in my soul, that this was right.

Everything about it was wrong.

But _we _were right.

His eyes stayed locked on me as if even the tiniest break would compromise everything we'd built tonight. There was something in his face that had never, ever been there before, a tremendous amount of adoration and appreciation that indicated only one thing. Edward was _making love _to me. He was being tender, sweet, gentle. He may have started out wanting to _fuck _me, but the way he was treating me now suggested that his plans had changed completely. There was something more sensual about this moment, something more romantic.

He licked his lips and quickened his pace, a look of pure rapture overtaking his features completely. He moaned against my lips and every muscle in his body tightened. "I'm fucking coming," he murmured, and those words set off another fiery explosion inside of me, some sort of domino effect that started at my loins and trickled to every other nerve ending in my body. With one more thrust, his face twisted into elation and he collapsed, nuzzling his face closer to my neck as he heaved a deep sigh of relaxation. I wrapped my hands behind his head and brought his lips to mine, relishing in the delicious after-sex taste of his skin.

Everything about the moment was beautiful, glorious, and I could have stayed there forever, just him and I. I could have spent hours talking to him, finding out everything I ever wanted wanted to know, and I knew, at this point, that I had complete access to the real Edward in his entirety. More than drawing me, more than watching me, Edward had finally admitted to being in love with me - and that was perhaps his darkest demon yet.

Now we were stuck with all these feelings and nothing to do about them. As much as I wanted to bask in the magnificence of this moment, my mind raced with endless torments. Even though Edward and I had admitted that there were very serious things going on between us, the fact remained that we would not be able to get away with this for very much longer - if at all.

We simply had to stop _seeing _each other.

That didn't mean he had to be out of my life completely.

And I knew, when I ultimately told him, that I needed to make that fact abundantly clear.

When he eventually came around, he planted a soft kiss on my ear and asked me to roll over. He pulled the beads out as delicately and as gently as he possibly could. In all honestly, I'd gotten so accustomed to them, I almost forgot they were even there.

"Come with me," he whispered once they were out. He grabbed my hands and pulled me off the bed, leading me into the bathroom.

I half expected him to pull me back into the now room temperature water of the jacuzzi tub. But, instead, he pulled us into the oversized shower and turned on the water, adjusting it to the scalding temperature he knew that I loved.

"You were fantastic," he cooed, leaning in to give me a soft kiss.

"So were you," I instantly responded. Taking a deep breath, I ran my hands through my wet hair and sighed. Right now was as good a time as any to bring _it _up. I had to eventually. "Edward," I breathed.

He smiled and raised his eyebrows. "Yes?" he asked, squeezing the soap over a washcloth.

"How do you suppose this is going to end?" I murmured as he started rubbing my body down, gently sudsing away the sweat and lube left over from our encounter.

His head perked and those emerald irises met my gaze with a squint of confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I've been thinking a lot about this," I started, grabbing the cloth from him. I ran it over his beautiful chest and sighed. "And if what we're doing gets out, we both run the risk of losing everything. Our careers, our reputations, everything we've ever built. The only way to prevent that is to not have our affair surface."

"Bella, what are you suggesting?"

"That we hold off . . . for the time being," I sputtered, the beat of my heart pounding in the back of my head. I was nervous, incredibly terrified of him taking it the wrong way and lashing out.

But instead, he snorted a laugh and rolled his eyes. "Isabella Swan, are you breaking up with me?"

"No, no. I only meant that, for the time of the conventions, we find less conspicuous means of continuing our arrangement. Perhaps we call each other most nights, instead of meeting," I suggested. "Or, at the very least, we need to meet somewhere away from this mess."

Edward smiled and brushed his knuckles down the side of my cheek. "I think that's a good idea," he agreed, leaning in to plant a sweet and simple peck on my lips. "But you should try to stop worrying about it so much."

I laughed and rolled my eyes. "And why is that?"

"So, let's say the the worst case scenario is that we're both fired and the press follows us around tirelessly. We both still have pensions, not to mention savings. And the press will find some other new gossip to immerse themselves in and eventually leave us alone," he explained, intertwining his fingers in mine. He playfully brought them to his lips and kissed each finger separately. "It would be embarrassing, yes. But not the worst thing that could ever happen."

"Oh yeah?" I joked. "And what's the worst thing that could happen?"

"Well, I don't know," he mused. "You could walk outside tomorrow and get shot in the head. I imagine that would be worse."

I scrunched my nose at him and shot him a look of confusion. Of all the things he could have said, why that? Why not 'get hit by a car'? Or 'get struck by lightening'? Whatever the case, I nodded my head and agreed with him as we finished our shower and stepped out to wrap fresh towels around our bodies.

As we walked back into the bedroom, he turned to me and grabbed my hand, pulling me into him softly. "Well, Ms. Swan. It's getting late. I should try to head back to my suite. That is, unless you have something else that's terribly important to ask," he whispered with a wink.

I don't know what provoked me to say what I did or even what made me think of her, but the bright blue eyes of that blond in his photograph flashed through my mind and I realized I still didn't know who she was. "In your studio, behind your computer table, you have a group picture of Tanya, an infant, a blond woman and yourself. Who's the blond woman?"

No sooner had I mentioned her than the entire atmosphere around us shifted, instantly becoming suffocating. His features dropped, his lips tightened, and I almost regretted my question altogether. Though, on the other hand, his reaction was certainly curious. Why did she depress him? Why did his attitude change so drastically?  
_  
Who was she?_

"My cousin, Irina," he mumbled, turning his head to look at the far wall leading to the kitchen. He was avoiding eye contact with me, as if trying to hide the sadness that the thought of her brought with it.

"Tanya's sister?"

He nodded in response and dropped his gaze to the tiny bit of floor between us. When he found no comfort there, he walked across the room to my dresser and fished his boxers out of the folded pile.

"Is she older or younger?"

"She was born a week after me," Edward somberly explained. He slipped the boxers over his legs and up to his waist, hastily followed by his pants.

"Well, that's fun! So I take it you're close with her?" I asked with a bubbly undertone.

He was slipping his undershirt over his head when I asked the question and as soon as the words left my lips, he froze and turned to face away from me. "I was," he reluctantly answered. As he pulled each layer of clothing over his long extremities, I felt each brick of his facade rebuild itself around him. It was like our nakedness meant there were no barriers between us, and we were able to completely be ourselves. Once the clothes came back on, our feelings for each other were again a secret. It was mask of who we pretended to be, instead of who we really were. And part of me felt repulsed by it.

"Was?" I immediately asked, taking a few steps forward to close the distance between us.

"Yeah," he mumbled. "She died."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," I pleaded, pressing my hand to his shoulder comfortingly. "When?"

He turned to look at me, his eyes angry, full of rage and sadness- like even talking about her pissed him right the fuck off. "Months ago," he hissed. "Where are my shoes?"

I jumped at the forcefulness of his tone, a bit taken back byf how sensitive the subject had become. As I pointed to the floor behind me, I couldn't help but wonder just what about her death bothered him so much? How traumatic had that experience been? Realizing that I would get nothing else out of him tonight, I walked to the bed and sat down on the edge, curling my foot under me. He slipped on his dress shoes and met my gaze, again becoming the Edward I had just been with before I brought up his cousin.

"I don't talk about her," he said, brushing a finger down my cheek. "I took her death fairly hard . . . which is probably pretty evident."

My eyes met his and I smiled, only feeling more confused than before. He had revealed so much tonight, yet, in true Edward Cullen fashion, only added a million other thoughts for me to consider.

"Listen," Edward started, kneeling down on the floor in front of me. "I want you know something, Bella - and this is something you need to believe deep down in the pit of your stomach. I am _not_ out to screw you over. I never meant for us to ever be like this. I know what you must suspect, especially after Vanderhausen, but it was never my intention to take things as far as they've gone. Hell, I didn't even think you'd talk to me that first night I called you. I was certain you'd just hang up on me. But you need to realize something - whatever happens from here out is out of our hands now. We've already made our beds, Bella. So you might find that you'll sleep better if you accept that."

And his words couldn't have hit me harder. It was as if he could sense every conflicting emotion I'd ever felt toward him, whether I'd actually told him about it or not. I hadn't lied tonight. I did believe I loved him, at least I loved what I knew of him. There would be more to come, certainly, and from the looks of things, more baggage than I'd expected. But there was this hesitant side of me, this side that wanted to trust my friends and think they had my best interests at heart. They didn't think this was a good idea and the logical, realist side of me agreed. There was always a side of me that believed he _was _going to fuck my world up and, ironically, there was an equally big part of me that just wanted him to fuck me.

Which was another reason I felt like I needed to put some physical distance between us. If I could still talk to him and still see him during the day, then getting to know him better seemed more likely. And there would be no temptations, no distractions, no getting up and walking away.

"Explain why I would take sleeping advice from you," I teased, attempting to end things on a lighter note.

He laughed and dropped his head to give me a tender kiss. "Call me when you get to Baltimore," he finally muttered before standing to walk out of my bedroom, taking my treasure chest along with him.

The door to my hotel suite shut and I instantly felt the void of his absence surround me. Somehow, his leaving had made me feel more alone than I ever had before - a fact that pissed me off more than anything. I fell back on my bed and burrowed my head under the covers in annoyance. It wasn't fair, nothing about this was justified. Why is it that I should spend years looking for the right person only to find him in the one man I wasn't supposed to care about?

_"Well, sometimes Bells, life isn't fair." _My father's voice resonated in my head, creeping out of the depths of my darkest memories.

Never before had truer words been spoken.

**A/N: SO . . . what'd ya think? I hope you enjoyed it. Be sure to check out my blog, link on my profile, and Thanks for reading. Take care. **


	21. Snobs, Snakes and Liars

**A/N: Hi everyone! Thanks so much for your patience and I hope you enjoy this. THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART for the completely overwhelming response that I am receiving for this story.**

**T****he songs for this chapter are :**

**"Talk Show Host" by Radio Head  
"Pardon Me" by Incubus  
"Sabotage" by Beastie Boys**

**All of which are available on my blog at http: / / www (dot) jenn1987sspot (dot) blogspot (dot) com**

_**Chapter 21  
Snakes, Snobs and Liars.  
**_

Before I knew it, I was seated next to Alice on the plane to Baltimore. It was late and, as I stared out the tiny window at the bundle of clouds below, Edward's smile flashed through my mind and a warm feeling reminiscent of being in love flooded my very soul. Landing in Baltimore and calling him from my hotel room gave me something to look forward to, even if it was just phone sex - and that in turn sent butterflies sky rocketing through my abdomen. Still my forbidden fruit, I knew I wasn't allowed to touch him, and for the remainder of the conventions that had to remain the case. He'd continue to be my dirty little secret, and that was the way it needed to be. I knew he was mine, I knew no one else would touch him, and that would make our reunion in New York that much sweeter.

Day one down, nine more to go.

It seemed like such a long time from now, a thought that severely twisted my insides. I wasn't entirely sure I could wait that long.

"What's eating you over there?" Alice whispered, breaking me from my train of thoughts.

I sighed and rocked back in my seat, turning my head towards her. "Edward and I agreed not to see each other until the conventions were over," I quietly explained.

"Well good for you," Alice chirped, shooting me a wink before adjusting her laptop so I could see it. "Here, look. I received an email from Jenks," she started. She must not have heard me right or perhaps she was just starting conversation so that she could ultimately get to her point. Whatever the case, she wrinkled her nose and pointed to her screen. "He wants us to meet him at this restaurant called "The Rusty Scupper" tomorrow at one for lunch. He says that either Aro or Jessica can handle the luncheon this round."

"Wonderful," I sighed. "And will his snotty grandson be joining us?"

"Oh you can count on that," Alice noted. "Little Scotty pants follows grandpappy everywhere."

I rolled my eyes and nodded in agreement.

"So, the convention booth by eight," she continued. "Press conference by ten, Rusty Scupper by one, then I suppose you could go sight seeing if you want until we have to get ready for the banquet. I have to meet Jasper at the airport at three. He's taken two weeks off to help me during the conventions." Alice tapped on her keyboard a few more times before shutting the screen and letting out a big yawn. "Have you given any more thought to your presentation? Perhaps you should rewrite it, try to make it wittier than Cullen's, ya know?"

"I'm open to suggestions," I quipped, retrieving the the flash-drive from my purse and placing it on top of her closed laptop.

"I'll see what I can do." She laughed and scratched her head, shooting an incredulous look my way. "Wait, wait. Press rewind. Did I hear you right? You broke things off with Cullen?"

And there it was, that dawning of recognition I had been waiting for. I smiled and gave her a curt nod. "For the time being. It's too stressful to worry about keeping things a secret."

"Wow, how are you handling that?"

I shrugged and looked out the window again, unsure of how I was really feeling. He wasn't at the conventions this morning so I didn't have to stare at the object of my affection with that momentous sense of longing, yet know I could no longer touch him. Finally seeing him again would either make or break me. "Ask me tomorrow," I suggested. "He told me he loved me, ya know? And then I told him we had to stop."

Alice's jaw dropped. "Holy shit, Bella! What'd you tell him? Do you love him, too?"

I nodded and averted my gaze to the back of the chair in front of me. "I think so."

She was speechless, absolutely shocked and silent for one of the first times in what seemed like ages.

"Let's just keep that between me and you, understand?" I chided. "The last thing I need is Rosalie strangling me to death, shouting to the heavens and cursing the hormones in my brain."

Alice laughed and shook her head, hesitating a few seconds like she was gauging how upset I really was about this whole mess. "I'm happy for you, Bella."

My eyes immediately narrowed on her. I almofst couldn't believe was I was hearing. "What? Just yesterday, you were kicking him out of my room like you suddenly had some kind of parental rights to me."

"Well, I mean, you could have had anyone, and you certainly picked an interesting one to boot, don't get me wrong. But Bella, _you're in love._ That's great - no wait, that's amazing! I was beginning to think it would never happen," Alice teased. "I don't know whether I should laugh or cry."

"Gee, thanks!"

"No seriously, Bella! Remember the last guy you tried to date?"

"Umm - no," I lied, thoroughly remembering every single detail.

"Well I do, and honey, you left halfway through dinner. Remember? He got up to use the bathroom and you just fled! Called me once you were in the taxi."

"Yeah, well, he was picking his teeth at the table. Whatever happened to manners?"

"And the one before that was years ago and was the son of your mother's friend. He had dreads."

"Not that there's anything wrong with that," I interjected.

"Of course not," Alice agreed with a wave of her hand.

"But there's just something about not washing your hair for five years that just irks me," I explained, chuckling a little.

Alice giggled and shook her head. "Well, it looks like I owe Jake twenty bucks," she whispered under her breath.

"What?"

"I had twenty on you bailing out before it got that far. I guess Picasso's really done a number on you, hasn't he?"

I ignored her comment, deciding that the bet was the more important topic to discuss. "And Jake bet that I'd fall in love with him?"

She nodded quickly, like this was only to be expected, and sighed. "Rose thought he'd end up leaving you by now."

"Really?"

"She's a heartless bitch, don't let it get to you."

"Well, damn. I don't know if I should be offended that my friends are betting about my love life or complimented that you care that much."

"It's out of love, baby. All out of love." Alice patted my shoulder and crossed her arms over her stomach. "You have wake up duty this round. Let me know when we're descending."

I smirked and nodded my head, shooting her a wink before she closed her eyes.

My iPod shuffled through the songs of my life for the duration of the ride, my thoughts instantly traveling to Edward and the day ahead. He would be there, sure enough, and merely inches from me in some cases. I was starting to wonder if he was really worth all the pressure I was about to face. Surely, I had no reason to worry about money, if indeed I did get fired or decided to quit. That wasn't my concern. The problem would come when I tried to find any other job in any other city and the person interviewing me would recognize my name - I'd be "Isabella Swan: that woman who fucked her competition and got caught." But, if I was with Edward, and he really meant what he said about loving me, would that really be a bad thing? We could move to the south of France and live on one of his boats - the artist and his muse. We could escape with each other, and surely that couldn't be all bad.

It wasn't long until the seat belt sign was turned on and the captain came over the loud speaker to announce our descent. I casually shook Alice to life and readied myself for the part that always scared the crap out of me - landing. Cursed with a completely over active imagination, I always pictured one of the wheels breaking off and shooting the plane into the side of the airport - killing hundreds, myself included. It would just be my luck to come so far only to die at the very end.

Once off the plane, we grabbed our luggage and made our way to the limo waiting outside. The driver tucked our bags into the truck and opened the door for us to climb in. I went first, scooting into the back seat and across the leather so that Alice could get in next to me. Suddenly, I looked up and shrieked! Someone was sitting in the seat opposite me.

Upon further inspection, I realized it was Jenks and his grandson, Scott. "Damn it, Jenks! You couldn't have told me you were meeting me in the limo?"

"Slight change of plans, Swan," he coolly added. "I apologize for scaring you."

Alice got situated and averted her gaze to the two men opposite us, greeting them with a big smile. "Hello, Mr. Jenks. Scotty."

"Hello, Alice," Jenks answered as the car started moving.

But Scott merely smiled. He was always such a smug little asshole, and he looked exactly how one would picture the spoiled child of rich parents who never worked for their money. Over excessive hair gel, perfectly tailored clothes, exquisite jewelery, and that damned walking cane decorated with over five hundred diamonds. Not that he needed it to help him walk, he carried it simply for the flash and the price tag. Together, his ensemble was well over half of my yearly salary - and rest assured, I'm substantially well off.

It was understandable why he hated me in return. I was nothing, I was poor, insignificant. My family wasn't well known, I was a woman, and yet, I'd somehow managed to usurp his dynasty from him. As long as I was in the picture, he didn't stand a chance at even tiptoeing around where I stood.

"I thought we were meeting tomorrow," I mused.

Jenks held up the latest edition of _US Weekly _and handed it to me. Suddenly, I knew the reason behind his impromptu visit. Plastered across the front page was a huge picture of William Dean and myself. Someone had seen us at the Boston convention and snapped a picture of us walking into the elevator together, seemingly alone. Though, in real life, we were surrounded by six other people, the majority of the Cullen executive board included_. _

_Photoshop._

"I need to know if there's any truth to this," Jenks bellowed in a low, intimidating voice. He'd gotten this tone with me only once before, when I made a ballsy decision about pushing forward with 3D holographs - later to premiere on CNN's 2008 election coverage. It was huge hit, attracting investments from the likes of Disney and Warner Bros.

I heard this tone and my ears perked in contest. Rolling my eyes, I groaned, "Of course not, Jenks. Surely you know me better than that."

He stared at me for a minute, seeming to analyze my every move - looking, as I would look, for a twinge of the hands, a look away, a tightening of the fist, a nervous shake, a lick of the lips, anything that would give away the fact that I was lying.

I stared him dead in the eye and whispered, "I'm not lying, I swear it."

Jenks nodded and turned to Scott. "Didn't I tell you?"

"She's lying, Pap. Look at her," Scott retorted. "She's tense. She's anxious."

"I'm tense because you scared the crap out of me. The fact that you would think me such a person to associate privately with the likes of William Dean is what makes me the most anxious."

"She's not lying," Alice chimed in. "I'd be willing to testify to that. There's nothing between her and Dean."

Jenks again nodded his head in what seemed to be the stamp of finality. "I figured as much," he warmly said, and there was an immediate lift in atmosphere. The imaginary Dean subject was now an afterthought. "That being said, welcome to Charm City. I trust your flight was satisfactory?"

"It was, thank you," I answered.

"How did things go in Boston?" he continued.

"Rather profitable. We've already received several offers. Aro's sales team will sift through them."

"And Mr. Dean's banquet?" Scott spoke up.

"We're already experiencing the positive results from that. We made over ten million in one night."

"That's why we're still number one, Scotty," Jenks teased. "Isabella's our best representative. She just charms the money out of any man's pants."

"I'll just bet she does," Scott retorted acidly, with obvious undertone suggested.

I simply glared at him, not really feeling that comment justified a response.

Then, all was silent. Jenks was pleased with my progress and with where the company was heading, so he had nothing more to say. Scotty, I'm sure, was contemplating a hundred different ways to destroy me. Alice was probably over there thinking about Jasper and the long day ahead of us tomorrow, and I had nothing more to say to anyone, so I thought about my future phone conversation with Edward.  
_  
How had his day gone?  
Why was he not at the conferences this morning?  
Had he left earlier?  
How easily had he snuck back into his suite last night?_

As we drove closer to the hotel, the sight outside the entrance made the pit of my stomach drop out from under me. The Hilton was swarming with paparazzi. They looked like mice descending on the biggest piece of cheese they'd seen to date.

Apparently, the _US Weekly _article had sparked a frenzy, and everyone - EVERYONE - was vying for that next, new picture of Mr. Dean and myself. Though I denied the allegations repeatedly, the media assumed we were handling our affair the way rich people normally did - with secrecy at first, the thrill still too new to share with the world, and then with glamor, the overwhelming pressure of prying eyes becoming too much to keep it a secret any longer. The press was jumping at the chance to be that first publication to break the news.

fIt was a shame they'd never find anything to break.

They had the wrong guy.

Jenks, Scotty, Alice and I pushed our way through the crowd as the photographers spat absurd questions at me, shouting at the top of their lungs to be heard.

_"Where's William tonight?"  
"Will you be seeing him later?"  
"How long have you two been seeing each other?"  
"When's the wedding?"  
"Will the two companies merge?"_

All of which I shrugged off. I'd answer no questions whatsoever.

_FLASH!  
FLASH!  
FLASH!_

Each blinding surge of light pointed right at me made it incredibly difficult to walk, and even harder to concentrate. Who was asking what? Who do I answer? It all seemed to blend together. That was until I heard a deep grumble emanate from the back of the crowd.

_"We've got the wrong guy, don't we, Ms. Swan? Her sights are a little further from home," _the voice said.

I almost stopped dead in my tracks, and would have had Alice not grabbed on to the back of my arm and pushed me ahead with her. I wasn't entirely sure if she heard it as well, but it didn't seem to matter. No one in the crowd cared, or at least, no one was willing to continue questioning his change in direction. Once inside the security of the Hilton, I was able to make out the face way at the back, the one that most likely knew my secret.

And I immediately recognized him.

Eleazar Michael - the most notable paparazzi in the game these days. He goes where the story goes. He follows his prey, stalks it until he gets that one shaming shot.

Britney Spears' crotch? That was Eleazar.

Paris Hilton's sex tape? That was Eleazar.

And he was good at what he did because he was relentless. He'd stake out anywhere to get that hot story, and once he'd dragged his victim's name through the mud a dozen times over, he'd do the 'Redemptive Interview" just to spite them. Everyone's seen this interview. It's the one where the out of control subject apologizes to the country for the way they've acted and blames it all on a past trauma or drug addiction. He seemingly props them up only to cut the knees out from under them the minute they step out of line, which they ultimately do - again and again.

It seemed I was to be his next target and he already knew what he was going to use against me, he just couldn't prove it yet.

This thought made me gasp and reach for my neck like I was about be strangled.

"Hey, are you alright?" Alice asked, wrapping her arm around my shoulders.

"Do you know who that is?"

Alice sighed and pulled me away from the window. "Yes," she groaned. "Yes, I do."

I pushed Eleazar far from my mind, making my plan of staying away from Edward more concrete and absolute. I couldn't afford to fuck around anymore. By the time I'd checked into the hotel and stepped out of my shoes in the living room of my suite, I realized that I'd yet to turn on my Blackberry since landing at the airport. I dug it out of the depths of my purse and pressed the power button, praying - no, begging, - for a message from Edward. Tell me you're here, tell me I can call you, fuck, tell me anything.

And, of course he did.

_New Text Message  
The Spy  
7:15 pm_

_You should see the Jacuzzis in Baltimore.  
_

I immediately ran through my bedroom to the bathroom and flicked on the lights. The tub was built into one complete side of the wall, making it twice the size of the one in Boston. My phone buzzed again.

_New Text Message  
The Spy  
8:30 pm_

_I hope you have a good flight. Call me when you're alone.  
_

There seemed to be another message, but I didn't bother to look at it. I slammed my finger on the green call button, almost frenzied as the phone rang . . . and rang . . . _and rang._

_"Hello, you have reached the voice mail box of Edward Cullen -"_

I immediately pressed end and tried again.

To no avail.  
_  
"Hello, you have reached the voice mail box -"_

I slumped a little in disappointment before checking the last message.

_New Text Message  
The Spy  
9:45 pm_

_Unexpected complication - talk to you tomorrow. _

I sighed, ultimately deciding that I was exhausted and his "complication" was sort of a blessing in disguise. I'd been going on less than four hours of rest and lots of caffeine. It was time to sleep. I stripped down to my underwear and climbed into bed, finding myself lost in a dream within a matter of seconds. Sure, the fact that Edward didn't answer tonight bugged the living hell out of me, but _one night _without him wouldn't kill me. He'd kept me up entirely too late last night, a fact evident in every bruised nerve ending between my legs.

The next morning, I was wide awake and rearing to go by seven am. It was me pounding down Alice's door this time, dressed to the nines and two coffee's in tow. Groaning and moaning, she answered the door with sleep still in her eyes and her hair resembling a peacocks tail atop her head. "Ugh, well aren't we bright-eyed and bushy tailed this morning? What? No marathon sex last night?"

"I already told you. I'm turning over a new leaf, I suppose." I grinned and, somewhere deep down, that was true. Perhaps it was Edward's words that stuck with me so thoroughly.

_"But you need to realize something - whatever happens from here out is out of our hands now. We've already made our beds, Bella. So you might find that you'll sleep better if you accept that."_

There was some sort of blinding truth to that statement, something that struck me deep down. Even though Eleazar was probably hot on my trail and we'd be exposed any minute, the fact that I was sticking to my guns with this whole "distance" thing was somehow rejuvenating. Eleazar could search all he wanted, but as long as we didn't give him anything new to exploit, I felt like we'd somehow be okay. I felt so empowered today - like I was ready to take on the world and kick it's ass - metaphorically speaking.

"A new leaf, huh?" She grabbed her coffee and eyed me from head to toe.

"Well, not really a new leaf. Just a leaf I left on the side of the highway a few weeks back."

Alice pursed her lips and gave me a single nod. "I love those pants on you, by the way. They look nice with those heels." She was referring to my black pinstripe pants and black stilletos I had donned for such an ass kicking occasion.

I gave her a smile and sat on her couch while she climbed into the shower. A half an hour later, Alice was emerged from her bedroom sporting an equally tasteful ensemble and handed me my flash-drive. "I looked over that last night and added a few things - let me know what you think."

I shot her a wink and stood, mentally preparing myself for setting up the convention booth. We headed downstairs and were immediately greeted by Jenks and Scotty in the hotel lobby.

"Morning, Swan. Alice," Jenks politely said.

Scotty said nothing.

Alice and I greeted them in turn and started to head toward the entrance of the hotel, but stopped dead in our tracks once we noticed the idiocy of that idea. The relentless press had not moved. They seemed just as crazed and bloodthirsty as last night.

"We've secured the back entrance for you, Mr. Jenks," a hotel attendant suddenly whispered.

We nodded and followed him into an employee only zone behind the front desk. We walked down a long corridor which ultimately dumped us out in the back parking lot, marked "Employee Parking Only." The limo was waiting for us. We piled in, somehow hoping no one would see us leaving and jump in front of the car for that last desperate shot.

Once we'd gotten to the Convention Center, we found our booth amongst mass chaos erupting at every turn and Jenks seemed thoroughly impressed with our layout. Because of the close proximity of Johns Hopkins, Baltimore had been dubbed the 'Medical Convention,' and all of our best pharmaceutical and surgical equipment was on display - not to mention the cancer-eating robot prototype. This should shape up to be one of our best conventions yet.

Jenks and Scott talked about what they liked and didn't like, then started barking commands at Jessica and Aro - who both responded like the best ass kissers in the business. I couldn't help but feel somewhat unfocused, if only for a split second in time and reality. That tingle was shooting down my back again, and I knew, without a reasonable doubt, that Edward was somewhere watching me. He could see me, even if I couldn't see him.

A faint blush graced my cheek as that little smile spread across my face. This time was different. This time I had the prying eyes of my boss and hundreds of photographers on me at every waking second. There was no more looking for him. There could be no more meeting his gaze across the room. I had to keep my wits about me. But just knowing - feeling and knowing - that he was here and could see me was enough for now.

Reluctantly, I returned my attention to Jenks who nodded in applause and took my hands with his. "Swan, you're doing a splendid job. I can't wait to see what you have in store for tonight. We've got some errands to run, but don't forget about our lunch." He gave me a warm smile and turned to leave, Scott meekly following as usual. Alice and I discreetly gave each other a high five and congratulated our ability to rock this shit.

It was backstage at the press junket that I finally saw Edward Cullen for the first time since we confessed our very souls to each other - and he looked amazing as usual. He was wearing a steel gray business suit with a dark green shirt underneath. His hair barely brushed, he nervously ran his fingers through it and shoved his other hand in his pants pocket, turning toward the entrance of the stage momentarily before readjusting his attention to his father. My heart involuntarily fluttered, for it instantly recognized its equal and longed to be closer him.

I allowed this rush to continue for only five seconds. Surely I could afford five seconds of daydreaming.

_Five . . .  
The way his pants hang over his waist made me think of ripping off his belt two nights ago._

_Four . . .  
The way his hair felt between my fingers when he knew he was caught, when he surrendered and allowed himself to confess another hanging skeleton._

_Three . . .  
That look in his eyes once he'd ripped off my blindfold and told me he wanted to see my face when I came._

_Two . . .  
Those lips - velvet, soft, delicate - like two slices of orange just begging to be sucked at._

_One . . .  
This distinctive twinge in the bottom of my gut that tells me, everytime I see him, that he is right - he is where I'm supposed to be.  
_  
And just as I was about to go into negatives, I notice the posture between the two men. The rigidity of Edward's shoulders and the pain smeared across his face. Their hushed voices broke me from my fantasy. "I know. I'll be there, alright? There's no need to pester me further about it," he groaned, pointing his fingers to the ground as if making a very definite point.

Carlisle smiled slowly and adjusted the collar around Edward's neck before straightening his tie. "Of course, Edward. How could I ever doubt you?"

The look that Edward gave his father in that moment could have cut diamonds - piercing, lethal.

"Do you want to take this bottle of water on stage?" Alice chirped from behind me. I jumped and turned towards her, awkwardly glancing back toward the Cullens. They both had looked up and saw me standing there, obviously eavesdropping on the conversation. Edward instantly turned a certain shade of rosy pink before flashing that brilliant smile in my direction, but Carlisle remained as calm as ever, as if my presence was merely trivial.

"Thanks, Alice." I took the bottle of water and walked toward the two men, cutting in between them as I made my way to the stage. "Mr. Cullen," I whispered, acknowledging Carlisle and Carlisle alone. Any look at Edward, any stolen glance at all, could mean the exposure of a very dirty little secret - and the mess from that explosion would devastate us for years, perhaps irreversibly altering the relationship between the father and son that I now parted.

This stage was bigger, much bigger than that in Boston, and Edward and I were seated next to each other again. And, again, hundreds of Baltimore's media finest sat before me causing a strange sense of being hunted to overwhelm me. Their prying eyes seemed to stare right through me - and I wondered what they saw. A successful business woman playing coy with a successful billionaire? Perhaps I was the seductress, and Dean, the innocent businessman falling victim to my feminine wilds? Either way, the press lusted for knowledge about my personal life. I was new, I was fresh meat, and they, the hyena pack, were all too eager to sink their grubby teeth into my hide.

About thirty seconds after I sat down, I felt Edward's presence behind me. He pulled his chair out from under the table and gracefully sat, shooting the press a smile and a small wave.

"Mr. Cullen," I whispered.

"Ms. Swan," he responded just as quietly.

I opened my mouth to say something about last night, to ask how he'd been - hell - anything to hear that voice again. But before the words formed on my lips, the room went dark and the MC for Baltimore began speaking. "Welcome to the Baltimore Medical Technology Convention, graciously hosted by the Baltimore Convention Center in association with The Technological Association of America. My name is Abigail Smith, and I'll be your mistress of ceremonies for the week." She was a fairly slender woman with red hair flowing halfway down her back. "We're going to start with a short presentation, introducing the array of companies represented today, and then we'll open it up to the press for questions."

The projector began playing behind us, and as much as I wanted to ignore it and stare at Edward, I knew I had to keep up my facade. So I begrudgingly turned my head and watched the mock up of our corporations. I smiled when they presented Cullen Inc - Edward was just so damned cute. And I smiled wider when Dyco Tech was introduced. The clip they used of me saying "The information necessary to advance in this world of technology is out there, ripe for the picking" was spot on with the music and looked really awesome. It was from an interview with CNBC about six months ago.

I turned back to face the audience, feeling rather confident in the way things were panning out so far, when suddenly, the blackberry in my pocket buzzed once.

_New Text Message:  
The Spy  
10:15 am _

_"Do you know how difficult it is to sit here and resist the  
nagging urge to throw you across this table  
and fuck you in front of them?"_

I almost couldn't help the little giggle begging to fall from my lips. A huge part of me wanted to scream, "Hell yeah!"

But that part was instantly subdued by the lights coming back on, laying us bare for the press to devour.

"Mr. Michael, I believe you picked first question," Abigail Smith said, gesturing to the bastard way at the back.

_Fuck. Here we go. Come on you prick, come get me. I'm ready._

"Ms. Swan," he started, taking a step forward. He work dark denim jeans and a pinstriped polo shirt, covered by a beige vest with over sized pockets. He looked just like how one would expect a presshound to look - the slimey dickhead. "Dyco Tech has had a major breakthrough in the medical community with the invention of microscopic robotics, capable of making the distinction between healthy and unhealthy cells, and able to destroy disease from the inside out. How did such a technology come about?"

I suddenly let go of the giant breath I wasn't aware that I'd been holding. "Well, Mr. Micheal," I began, almost overjoyed that he'd left his skepticism at home. And then I told him the story. I included the names of every inventor working on the project, as well as the funding necessary to complete it. It was a total success, though entirely too expensive to market nationwide. The cost of each robot was well over $5,000 and to completely destroy cancer, you'd need at least forty of them.

Eleazar nodded, held his recorder a little higher and smiled. "And this is money that you've accumulated from several investors, Mr. Dean being only one of them?"

"That's correct, Mr. Michael. But I don't see where you're going with this." I crossed my hands in front of me, leaning on the table to get closer to the microphone. My eyes narrowed on him, almost daring him to say it. Would he expose us right here, right now? Seated in front of the world? Or would he just bat us around for a little bit just to torture the struggle out of us?

"But, before a month ago, he was a huge investor in Cullen Inc, your main competition. Is that not also correct, Ms. Swan?"

I saw Edward stiffen next to me. His fingers gripped harder around each other in his lap and he turned his head to look at me, nervously anticipating my response.

"How William Dean spent his money before investing in Dyco Tech is none of my concern." And that much was true, even though I had always known where Dean's interests lied before Dyco Tech. But the truth was that this was none of the nations concern - least of all Eleazar Micheal's.

"What else happened about a month ago that would spark such a change in financial assistance?"

"Mr. Michael, is this a press conference or an interview? If you'd like, you can set up an appointment with my assistant, Alice Brandon. I'd be more than happy to sit down with you to answer these questions. Next network please."

And the entire room laughed, apparently feeling the same way.

Except for Eleazar, who simply flashed a devilish and snake-like smile at me as he backed into the darkness.

A small blond stood next and was introduced as Sally Terrace. She addressed someone at the other end of the table, one of the companies from California that had created a new way to do spinal surgeries. It was less invasive, more effective and fixed a larger margin of spinal injuries. If I bothered to pay attention, I would have found it quite innovative.

But I seemed to find myself focused on the balding figure of my destruction lurking in the back of the auditorium. My eyes met his and I knew, in this moment, that he saw right through me. There was something there, something he could smell on me, he just couldn't put his finger on it.

Either that, or he knew exactly what my secret was and he was hell bent on making me admit it first.

A few minutes went by and, finally, someone addressed Edward who leaned forward into the microphone and answered the question politely, slowly drawing my attention away from Eleazar. Whatever happens from here is out of my hands now. I've already made my bed - Edward and I must now lay in it. I averted my gaze to the table in front of me and prayed for the session to be over.

And just as soon as it was, I practically bolted backstage where Alice was waiting with her arms crossed and a smirk smeared across her face. "Why did you agree to an interview with that - that monster?" she whispered.

I took a drink, the soothing water coaxing my dry throat into submission. "I had to do something to get him to shut up, didn't I?"

Tanya, Edward and Carlisle passed behind Alice and it was all I could do not to stare at him. Edward's emerald eyes met mine with intensity, as if suggesting that he was thinking exactly the same thing I was - _that_ was entirely too close. I knew, right then and there, that Edward was well aware of Eleazar at this point. Perhaps he hadn't known last night, the way I had, but he knew now and the look on his face screamed tension. We'd talk tonight, that much was certain.

I sighed and adjusted my attention to Alice again, who grabbed the water bottle from my hands and nodded toward the exit. It was time to meet Jenks for lunch. We squeezed past the press, and once inside the confines of our limo, I took a heaved sigh of relief. Things were getting worse. The shit storm was indeed headed our way, and it was all my fault.

The ride there was silent, neither of us really knowing what to say about the way things were starting to go. Sure, financially, we were still on top - we were kicking the shit out of Cullen Inc at these conventions, and Dyco Tech was on the verge of a runaway monopoly. If things continued like this, we'd be so far ahead of Cullen Inc, they'd never catch up. But the press was getting too close, much too close, and Eleazar Michael - well, that cat knew something. I don't know how he knew or even if he had proof, but he was digging for some sort of clue - and I knew he'd keep digging until he found it.

By the time we'd gotten to the restaurant, I realized I had no idea what to expect from this meeting. Why hadn't Jenks talked to me about it last night? Why hadn't he told me what it was in reference to? The fact that he didn't only made me more paranoid about what was waiting for me. What if Eleazar had already found my dirty laundry? What if he was in the process of blackmailing me to Jenks? Or the Cullens for that matter?

Climbing out of the car, I turned to Alice and asked if she knew why were here in the first place.

"No, not really." she responded, circling around to stand next to me. "I was hoping you had some idea."

Shaking my head, I pulled my business jacket a little tighter around my waist and buttoned it to the other side. The restaurant was actually a pretty nice place, located right on the bay with full length windows so you could eat while watching the boats go by, and that's exactly what Jenks had intended for us. He and Scott were on the upper level of the dining room, right by a huge window. The weird thing about the situation and what immediately tipped me off that something was amiss was the fact that they were seated at a table for eight. There were only supposed to be four of us. Who were we waiting for?

I shrugged it off, thinking the staff had simply failed to move the extra furniture away. Alice and I walked to the table and took the seats opposite Scott. He sat back to the window with Jenks to his left, the head of the table. Alice took the seat next to him, and I the seat next to her.

"Good Afternoon, ladies. I trust things are going well at the conventions. Jessica has agreed to the luncheon?" Jenks greeted, shaking both of our hands as we sat.

"Ah, Aro actually. I'm sure he'll handle it just fine," I explained, talking a sip of a water and picking up the menu. I took a brief look, but didn't really read anything - I already knew what I was getting. This was Maryland for Christ's sake - OF COURSE, I was getting Chicken Chesapeake. There's absolutely nothing tastier than baked chicken breast stuffed with crab meat and seasoned with Old Bay. _Yum!_

"How do you think the press took our microscopic robotics?" Jenks asked, closing his menu in front of him and folding one hand over the other.

There was something strange about him - something off. I just couldn't put my finger on it.

"I think it went well. I think we perked the interests of several doctors in attendance," I answered, pursing my lips as my eyes narrowed in on him.

Somehow, I knew my answer was in vain. He didn't really care about that, and he was only making polite small talk before dropping the motherload. There was something eating away at him, something he hadn't told me yet. It might as well have been stamped across his wrinkled forehead, heavily creased with the stress of a unwanted burden.

"But that's not why we're here, is it?" I continued, darting my anxious gaze to him. "Let's cut to the chase, Jenks. What's the news? What did you have to talk to me about?"

He smiled, seemingly impressed with how easily I read him. Clearing his throat, he looked up at me and adjusted the tie around his neck. "For the last month or so, I've been considering a ginormous business deal," Jenks started.

"What business deal?" Scott quickly interrupted, obviously as taken back as I was.

I took a drink of water to hide my nervousness.

"With Cullen Inc," Jenks continued.

I involuntarily choked and spit the water back into the cup, coughing and wheezing with surprise.

. . .

_Did I just hear that right?_

_What the fuck was going on? _

My head snapped up at him and my jaw almost hit the table. "Excuse me?" I instantly retorted.

"You heard right. Cullen Incorporated. Carlisle made me an offer I couldn't refuse. I'm selling the company," Jenks solemnly explained.

My heart started pounding in my chest so hard, I could feel it literally everywhere in my body. My stomach twisted into knots, my palms grew sweaty, and I instantly got lightheaded, like I would fall off this chair any second.

I simply couldn't fucking believe it. I'd spent all these years dedicating my every waking second to this company, to this job, to everything about it - and NOW - of all the times in the world to be thinking of this - only NOW did he tell me about his plans for selling Dyco Tech to _- them. _The enemy.  
_  
"No, no,"_ I told myself. _"He must be joking."_

And just as I opened my mouth to say something along those lines, Jenks removed all doubt.

"Well, merging the companies would be more appropriate I suppose. Either way, I'm done." He took out his hankerchief and rubbed it over his brow, taking a deep sigh of relief. "We're at the top of our game, Swan. It's the right thing to do. They need our financial help just as much as their new wave innovation can help us. I'm too old for this game now, and Carlisle - well, Carlisle understands."

"That's why you have _me_, Jenks," I instantly argued, my tone reeking of fury. "That's why you promoted _me_. We're doing wonderful, you can't deny that! So why are you considering this? What did he promise you?" I almost couldn't help the shaking in my voice.

Jenks' eyes narrowed on me as he lifted his chin in defiance, as if preparing for a metaphorical slug to the face. "And you've done an extraordinary job, Swan. No one should tell you any different. You'll continue to do an extraordinary job. There's several clauses to the contract that we're still working on."

So many questions were running through my head and I simply couldn't stop them from rolling off the tip of my tongue. "_Clauses?_ Jenks, there are board members that need to be consulted, shareholders that need to be informed, not to mention the hundreds of investors and subsidiaries that will demand their say. What are you thinking?"

"Enough, Isabella," he barked, sounding remarkably like my father in some strange manner. My back stiffened and I shook my head slowly, almost appalled that Jenks would really consider this with his mortal enemy. "In the end, I have the final say over what happens with my company. That's always been the case. I still own over fifty percent of Dyco Tech, and I'm able to sell my shares to whomever I'd like."

"That much is true," Scotty cut in. "But you don't know these people, Pap. They could screw you out of billions."

"No," Jenks started, but a quick look to the entrance stopped his train of thought. "In fact, our guests of honor are arriving now," he announced, standing to welcome my worst nightmare to our table.

In utter disbelief, I looked to Alice who had the same shocked, clueless expression that was no doubt smeared across my face as well. It seemed to happen in slow motion. My breathing was deep, echoing through my ears in a labored rhythm. I inched my head in the direction of the entrance, and there they were.

Edward Cullen, Carlisle Cullen, Tanya Denali - all walking right for us.

Hence the table for eight.

I took them in for a few seconds, watching the impending approach of doom that awaited me and praying to instantly disintegrate into nothingness. All three Cullen Inc representatives shook hands with Jenks and took their seats around the table - Edward next to me, Carlisle at the end and Tanya on the other side across from Edward.

I was so overwhelmed with everything that was happening that I could have reached out and slugged Jenks for doing this to me. I had nothing prepared, no logical thoughts on the matter, absolutely no definitive reasons why we should or shouldn't do this. All I seemed to be able to think at the moment was, _"Edward knew."_

This whole time, he knew. He even mentioned it two nights ago in Boston, but I was too dead set on Jenks hating Carlisle to think that a merger would even be possible.

Christ, it explains everything - why he wasn't that upset about Dean leaving the company, why he told me not to worry about Vanderhausen - hell - even why he started sleeping with me to begin with.

To get close to me. To make this transition easier.

I was just a road block.

_Fuck._

_Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._

It felt like he had just ripped out my heart and placed it in the center of the table for everyone to devour.

My stomach clenched with utter anguish. Everything we'd done now seemed a hundred times worse - a million times more taboo.

And I'd never felt more used or violated in my entire life.

If I could bring myself to look at anything but the napkin in front of me, I might have stared holes right through him, daring him to say one word out of line.

Be that as it may, I couldn't look away. I couldn't look up. I couldn't even speak.

I seemed frozen, either unwilling or unable to accept this situation as reality. I felt like I simply must be dreaming - fate wouldn't do this to me. Fate wouldn't give me an equal enemy only to match him up as my business partner the day after I admit to falling in love with him. Fate wouldn't be so - _cruel.  
_  
Alice gave me a quick nudge in the side, somehow bringing my attention back to Earth, and I realized that fate really _was_ doing this to me.

Fate was a fucking bitch!

I finally got my wits back just in time to look up and notice everyone staring at me.

"What?" I snapped.

"Carlisle asked you how things were going at the conventions this year. I wasn't in Boston, though I'm more than willing to take your word for it," Jenks explained, gesturing to Carlisle at the other end of the table. "I told him you were the best one to ask about that."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," I murmured, taking a deep breath as I turned to look at Carlisle. His features were leathered and hardened, as if he'd spent far too many decades out in the sun. That or Cullen Inc had completely taken its toll on him. His blond hair was brushed back and gelled, the way it always was, and he wore a grey business suit, making him seem like he was one hundred percent business one hundred percent of the time. I analyzed the lines of his face, so familiar yet so strange. Emmett and Carlisle shared the same profile, the same square jaw, and the same long, pointed nose. To be completely honest, Emmett looked like the spitting image of his father, except for the eyes, and Edward - well - Edward might as well have been the post-man's son.

Carlisle smiled and a warm, fuzzy feeling washed over me. I instantly regretted thinking that about his paternity; it was dead wrong. Edward's adorable grin was absolutely inherited.

Somehow answering Carlisle's question seemed like I was giving away confidential information, something a traitor would do. But, was I not indeed sleeping with the enemy? Was I not already committing treason?

Regardless, I forced myself to calmly respond. "Very profitable, thank you for asking. How about you?"

I crossed my right leg over my left and folded my hands on the table in front of me, awaiting Carlisle's response.

"Equally as well, thank you. And I hear Baltimore is shaping up to follow suit."

The waiter came over and introduced himself as Ricardo. We went around the table, ordering a variety of different options, and I went with the chicken chesapeake like I had planned. After the waiter left, I nodded and leaned forward the slightest bit, redirecting my attention to Carlisle. "Let's cut the small talk, Mr. Cullen. You came here to offer us a proposal, what exactly does that entail?"

His gentle face tightened into a humored smirk as he glanced to Edward and nodded. Edward leaned into the table and narrowed in on Jenks. "We buy your shares in Dyco Tech, Mr. Jenks, for which you will receive a monthly residual - proportionate to the growth of the company, of course," Edward croaked, refusing to meet my gaze specifically.

And rightfully so. He had no business looking at me for the time being - not until he fully explained himself - if I even let him do that.

"Fifty percent," Jenks said.

"Twenty," Carlisle instantly responded.

"Forty five."

"Thirty, and not a penny more," Edward forcibly answered this time, instantly silencing the babbling between Carlisle and Jenks.

"Ms. Swan remains as CEO of the hybrid company," Jenks suddenly spat.

"What?" I murmured, and Alice gasped. This was certainly a game changer and I could feel Edward stiffen next to me. No one had anticipated that blindside.

There was a moment of silence at the table, one where Edward slouched in disappointment, Carlisle hesitated and Tanya simply smirked. She lifted her glass in toast to me, took a sip and then wiped her lips with a napkin, giving herself a small laugh.

"I thought they both would share the position," Carlisle softly suggested.

"Ms. Swan remains as CEO, or we get up and walk away."

"Wait, wait, wait," I interrupted. "There are more people involved in this than you three and us. There's a whole board to consult. Not to mention investors - one in particular - that may not think this is the best idea -"

"What's good for the goose is good for the gander," Carlisle cut in. "Besides, from what I've heard of you Ms. Swan, you have no problem controlling the board, isn't that correct?" His tone was rife with innuendo, as if suggesting that I was so cut-throat, no one would dare challenge me, even the members of my own board. He was trying to tell me that even though others treated me with kid gloves, he would have no problem telling me exactly what he thought.

"It hardly seems that way when the decisions I make turn out to be the right ones, Mr. Cullen," I hissed, damned determined to let him know I'd have no problem telling him exactly what I thought as well. "And we haven't necessarily decided that this move is good for the goose - it may destroy the gander. Or worse, piss them off and make them take their money and walk away. From what I've heard of you Mr. Cullen, that seems to be the trend these days. So let's take a minute to discuss _why _this might be detrimental before we start talking about who's getting paid what."

A moment passed between us, a moment where Carlisle and I glared at each other. His quick tongue and arrogant nature would be matched only by that of yours truly. After what seemed like an eternity, his grimace finally warmed into smile as he took a sip of water and shot me a wink. It wasn't flirtatious, or even comical in matter, it simply said he respected me. He appreciated my balls. People must have treated him with kid gloves as well.

"It could be against a few laws," Scott suggested. "And the competitive nature between these two is doing wonders for the market." He pointed at Edward and I.

"But wouldn't it better if things were more - affordable?" Edward retorted.

And he had us. If we came together, the net worth of that company would be incredible. We could afford to do whatever the fuck we wanted, and no one else could afford to stop us.

As everyone at the table pondered this idea, the waiter came around with our drinks and placed them in front us.

Edward sighed and looked to Jenks, a strained, exasperated expression smeared across his face. "We can work out the finer details at a later time. Who will head the final company is of no matter right now. I agree with Ms. Swan, we need to figure out if this is the right thing to do."

"The economy is slipping, who knows when it will buckle out from under us," Carlisle added. "Not to mention the instant increase in staff and employment ratio."

"So we talk to our board members when we get back to New York, hold a formal meeting between the two companies, and go from there," Jenks commanded, as if the entire thing had already been settled. He raised his glass and gave us all a very excited smile. "To a bright future with new friends."

I heaved a dry cackle in response and lifted my glass the tiniest bit - a sarcastic salute, if even a salute at all.

The rest of the lunch went on around me, but it seemed unreal - abstract. It was like I was in one of those picture boxes, and all the photos whizzed by me with tremendous speed, yet I remained motionless. I found myself filled with a certain frustration, towards Edward, towards Jenks, towards Carlisle. Had he been the culprit all along? Had the original Mr. Cullen put Edward up to this the entire time? Had any of it actually been real?

Were my feelings for him still true and unwavering? Were his for me? Was last night even worth anything?

Sure, I answered everyone's questions and made polite small talk with Carlisle and Tanya like I was supposed to - I certainly wouldn't be caught losing face. It was Edward's silence that seemed to perturb most of the people at the table. When Carlisle called him out on it, Edward simply laughed and shook his head in response, blaming the humidity. But if I could read him as well as I thought I could, he seemed rather - _ashamed._

And he should be. He deserved to feel that way.

Somewhere around the end of the lunch, I felt Edward reach under the table and try to grab my kneecap. It was a simple gesture that almost repulsed me. I instantly put a hand under the table and pushed his away. He didn't deserve to touch me anymore.

As soon as everyone's lunch was in a To-Go box and Carlisle had paid the bill, I stood from the table, said goodbye to Jenks and politely acknowledged the Cullens before bolting to my limo. I could hardly make it there without screaming. Just as I went to climb into the backseat, Edward met my gaze from across the parking lot. He gave me a small smile and a wave.

I gave him nothing in response.

I wasn't in the car for even five minutes before the tears came. Alice wrapped her arm around my shoulders and pulled me into her, holding me through my breakdown. I allowed it for thirty seconds - but only thirty seconds. I was strong. I was independent. I didn't need Cullen. I'd been doing just fine until he came along - and I'd do just fine without him. But that didn't mean it was painless. His omission had cut me pretty deep.

And I would get him for this. I would steal his job, his reptuation, everything he was. If we were to merge with Cullen Inc, then I would do everything in my power to make sure Jenks' clause remained in effect. Edward Cullen would not get away with this.

I. Would. Ruin. Him.

Perhaps it was Carlisle who had suggested Edward form a relationship with me to begin with like I initially thought, and perhaps not. Maybe Edward had only continued to see me so that I would get attached to him and vote for us working together. And if that was the case, he had another thing coming. I do not take lightly to other people sharing my things.

I said I loved him, that didn't mean I wasn't going to fuck him properly - especially after getting fucked so royally in that restaurant.

On the other hand, perhaps the reason I was most upset had nothing to do with why he had started seeing me or even why he continued to. Maybe I was so pissed off because we _had _fallen in love - I _did _care about him intensely. And he was supposed to love me in return. He claimed to trust me, so much as to say it was more than I trusted me - so why had he kept this from me? Why hadn't he told me this last night? I guess the real question is whether I would have told him. To which the answer was absolutely no. It wasn't my job to keep him informed, nor was it his job to keep me informed.

Business was business.

And pleasure was pleasure.

Certainly I understood that.

So, why did it hurt so bad? Why did it feel like betrayal? Why was I so angry?

Whatever the case, I decided to take a deep breath and calm my Irish temper. Surely, I could pursue my vendetta if indeed Edward did have some malicious intent towards me. But after everything I'd been through with him and after our experience last night, jumping to that conclusion hardly seemed like the right thing to do. I'd been wrong about him before, and so, out of respect, I would wait to rationalize.

But that didn't mean I'd let him easily get away with this behavior. We'd have a conversation about the merger - most definitely. And then I could decide what would be the best way to deal with this.

Thirty seconds came and went, and I wiped my eyes because it was over. I wouldn't let him get me anymore upset - I couldn't afford it.

"Are you okay?" Alice asked, rubbing my back supportively.

I nodded and gave her a small laugh. "Yeah, yeah I'm okay," I assured her. I pulled myself together and looked down at her, my eyes narrowed and my jaw squared. "This just get's better and better, you know that?"

Alice giggled and gave me another hug. "Nobody said life was going to be easy."

Before I could say anything else to her, my blackberry started buzzing in my purse. I fished it out and sighed when I read the name on the screen.

"What? Is it him?" Alice asked.

I shook my head and pressed accept. "Hey, Rose. What's going on?"

_"Where are you?" _she urgently said.

"Leaving the Rusty Scupper. You are not going to believe what I have to tell you," I started.

_"Hold that thought, Bella. Meet me at your hotel suite as soon as possible. I need to tell you something," _Rose sputtered, almost speaking too fast to get everything out.

"What?"

_"I met my Department of Defense buddy today for the first time," _she explained.

"And?"

_"I realize now why he kept his identity a secret."_

"Well, who is he?"

_"I'll tell you when you get here. Hurry!" _And the line went dead.

**A/N: Soooo...**

**What'd ya think?**

**Tell me your favorite and/or least favorite part! (I can understand if there's more than one in this chapter)**

**Thanks again for reading. **


	22. The Prince, The King And The Witch

**A/N: Sooo.. Here it is, and I hope you like it.. I'm a little nervous to be honest, so please be gentle. **

**Mucho thanks to my betas, for always being so supportive and prompt with your responses. Again, thank you all of you beautiful people who read and continuously leave the best reviews. Special thanks to Saluki168 and the ladies over at MyVampFiction (dot) com for their awesome take on Bella's Treasure Chest. I'm not worthy! Okay, you're gonna wanna read this, so I'm done talking. Enjoy!**

**The songs for the chappie are:**

**"All the Right Moves" by OneRepublic  
"Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton  
"Color Blind" by Counting Crows  
"Lover's Spit" by Broken Social Scene**

_**Chapter 22  
The Prince, The King & The Witch**_

I walked out of the elevator onto my floor and found Rose pacing outside my suite. Alice had already left to pick Jasper up at the airport, so it was just Rose and me until she returned.

"There you are!" Rose exclaimed, pouncing towards me.

"Here I am," I started. "What's the big news?"

"It's Emmett," she breathlessly replied.

"Emmett? Emmett Cullen, Emmett?" I asked, almost exasperated by my day so far. So much for turning over a new leaf. Where I'd felt confident and powerful this morning, I now found myself emotionally drained and frustrated with everything. This would just be the icing on my cake.

She nodded, her eyes as big as saucers as she bounced up and down, so eager to spill everything. Sighing, I pulled the key out of my purse and let us into my suite, immediately making my way to the couch. Rose and I sat as I took a deep breath, preparing for her to tell me Edward was a murderer or rapist or some form of convict that I should shy away from.

"Bella, Emmett practically unloaded on me today. I know so many damning things about that family - Christ, I could take them down with one interview if I really wanted to. And -"

"Wait, wait - how did you even meet him initially?" If I knew anything about this woman, Rose was beginning a rant and I simply didn't have the energy to listen to it right now.

"Online chat room."

"What? Rose! I thought this was a buddy, somebody you knew in real life!" I chastised.

"I know, I know. I'm a liar. Lecture me some other time. We've been sort of, I don't know, "talking" for a few years, and I knew his name was Emmett, that he lived in DC and he worked for the Department of Defense, but that's it. I'd never even seen a picture of him."

I crossed my arms and eyed her incredulously. "What's his screen name?"

"Bella, that's not important. Jenks is considering a merger with them. Your problems just got bigger!" she pointed out.

"Yeah, I know," I grumbled, leaning back on the couch. "And Jenks is not _considering _a merger with them, Jenks has practically_ signed_ a merger with them. This - This is really happening." I sighed and kicked off my heels, unbuttoning my jacket to slide it down my arms.

"Wow!" She seemed perplexed, confused, as if I should be more outraged than I really was. "You're taking this rather well," Rose snorted.

"Oh, trust me. I'm tearing myself apart on the inside. This is my 'strong-confident-woman' shell," I joked.

Rose gave me a small smile and nodded gracefully. "Do you think he knew about it?" Rose asked.

"Edward? Oh, most definitely. What's got me concerned now is the thought that this whole affair might have only been about getting close to me - to find a way to blackmail me or keep us both on as CEO." I shook my head and laughed. "And to think, I actually thought he loved me. He played his part incredibly well."

Rose bit her bottom lip and tensed, seeming hesitant to say something. Finally, she rolled her eyes and leaned back into the couch. "Alright. Alright! You're twisting my arm here," she teased. "Look, you can't tell anyone - ANYONE - what I'm about to tell you. Emmett shouldn't have even told me in the first place so you can take it for what it's worth."

"Okay?" And then I became really unsure. Did I really want her to go on? Was I sure I wanted Rosalie to be the one to tell me? Would it be more meaningful from Edward? Would I be able to take it easier? It seemed I didn't have a choice. Rosalie was almost bursting at the seams.

"Emmett mentioned an "investigation" a few months back, one that went really bad and fucked things up between Edward and his family. It could be that Edward had his own agenda all along, Bella. He said some very interesting things today, and I'm not exactly sure why he chose to unload on me - maybe he thought I'd tell you, maybe he wanted me to. But, whatever the case, Edward has had the hots for you for a long, long time. Which is just fucking creepy, if you ask me. But, if you're into that sort of thing - I suppose that would be good news."

I ignored her smart ass comment and stuck with the priority. "How long?"

"I don't know, exactly." Rose sighed and rubbed her hand over her face.

I smirked and nodded in agreement, not even sure what I wanted with this new information. This investigation certainly perked my interests, but I knew I could never ask Edward about it. Rose said she wasn't supposed to tell me, therefore, I wasn't supposed to know. "Did you even get to see Edward's background check?"

"Hell no! He knew I'd repeat everything I saw to you," Rose explained.

"And Emmett didn't tell you what the investigation was about?"

"He said something about the CIA and Interpol and Carlisle needing to bail Edward out for something bad that he got caught doing. I'm not really sure, Bella. Emmett talked so fast and bounced around between topics, so he was a little hard to follow," Rose elaborated.

"So, what do you think it was?"

"I don't know. Something he did in Europe, if Interpol was involved. Carlisle paid heavily to have it kept quiet."

I sighed, realizing I'd get no more information out of Rosalie. Either she wouldn't tell me for fear that I'd tell Edward, and Edward would ridicule Emmett for it, or Emmett honestly didn't explain any further, so Rose simply didn't know. I'd like to think the latter was the most likely. Rose was a good friend, through and through. Chicks before dicks, and she would always live by that rule - at least where Alice and I were concerned.

"My gut instinct is to tell you 'I told you so and you need to run'," she continued. "Who knows what kind of mess you're inheriting? Something about a "secret" investigation just makes me paranoid, Bella. Emmett didn't really go into details, but shit! If Carlisle paid the government to keep it under wraps, it must be real freaking juicy - which doesn't bode well for you. On the other hand, I've never seen you more relaxed about such a huge crisis. Cullen must be doing something right." She laughed and threw her hands into the air with a playful shrug. "I wish I could tell you something, but, honey, I just don't know anymore."

I ran my hands through my hair and decided to change the subject. It was becoming too much to think about. "I just can't believe Jenks is actually doing this - AND he's excited about it."

"Why wouldn't he be? The man's freaking ancient," she started with a laugh. "He's almost on his death bed. And you know Scott will only run the company into the ground when the old man does eventually croak."

"Then why not leave the company to me?"

"Oh yeah, that'll hold up in court." Rose stood and walked to the kitchenette, pulling a bottled water from the mini-fridge. "I can just see Scotty's cane sparkling in the flashes of the media cameras outside the courthouse when he appeals the will." She twisted the bottle open and took a drink. "Besides, you have nothing to lose if the companies merge, you'll lose everything if Scotty takes over."

"Jenks said the he would only sign the contract was if I was made CEO of the hybrid corporation."

Rose's face burst into exuberance. "See! There you have it. Nothing to lose!"

I paused momentarily, almost ashamed of the next sentence poised to roll off my tongue. "And what about Edward?"

Rose smirked and shook her head. "What _about _Edward?"

"If I take over as CEO, what will happen to him?"

Rose scrunched her nose in confusion. "Who cares what happens to him? Bella! You have the chance to be the CEO of the ONLY top selling Technology Agency in America. You're a woman, and you're only 29. Hell, fuck Edward - professionally anyway! You'll be so fricking rich, it'll be astounding."

I took a deep breath and rubbed my hands over my face in frustration as Rose sat back down on the couch beside me. "I love him, Rose. I'm so fucking mad at him right now, but even through that, I know I love him."

"I know you do, honey." She patted my knee and took another drink of water. "But this is business - and your heart has no place running with this pack of wolves."

I nodded my head in agreement and brought a pillow to my chest, wrapping my arms tightly around it. "I find it incredibly hard to believe that everything Edward and I shared together was fake or built on a lie. I'm sure he knew about this and if it was reversed, I'm positive I wouldn't have said anything to him either. But -"

"Bella, on the way here, I got to thinking." She took another drink of water and pursed her lips. "The problem with you two was that you could never be seen in public together because of this competition clause, right? So if you eliminate the competition, you two are free to do whatever you want. A merger does this, especially if Jenks is set on you being the boss. If things go right, you'll be the richest woman in America and he'll be out on his cute, little ass - but you two could start dating like a real live couple," Rose suggested, tilting her head in delight.

"Way to look on the bright side of things," I lamented, rolling my eyes her direction. Then it hit me. This was really unusual for Rosalie. She was the type of person to think love was just a fairy tale, it was a figment of our imagination created by the hormones in our brains. Something was different about her, some how more cheery and resilient. She had a certain aura around her, one that hadn't been there last night, a distinctive, naturally radiating glow -

_That little DOD humping slut!_

"Rosalie? Did you fuck Emmett Cullen?" I teased in a condescending tone.

She gasped in fake disbelief. "Isabella Marie Swan! How dare you speak such blasphemy! I've only just met the man. I'm not that big of a slut."

"You fucked _someone_," I accused, narrowing my eyes suspiciously on her.

"Did not!" she groaned, adjusting her gaze to a table across the room. The look away - instant lie detector.

"Ah HAH! Rosalie Lillian Hale! Do not lie to me."

"ALRIGHT! Damn it! How the fuck do you do that?" she snapped. "We fucked, okay? Happy now? We fucked in his Audi, on top of his Audi, pretty much all over the damn thing. And it was the best god damned sex I've ever had!"

I crossed my arms and flashed her a shit eating grin. "How big was his dick?" I asked just to rub salt in her wound. I knew she'd get embarrassed about the questions.

Her face flashed into shock before turning a faint pink as she looked away and laughed. I called that! "Big enough, alright!"

"What's his chat room screen name?" I asked again, but Rose just rolled her eyes and shook her head, like devulging that information would be the most humiliating thing in the world. "Tell me," I commanded.

"Why do you want to know?" she protested with a giggle, obviously still very embarrassed from the dick question.

"I'm curious why you want to keep it a secret. Tell me."

"mmkkmmnnsccttnn," she mumbled under her breath.

"What?"

"Monkey. Man. Sixty. Nine," she said forcefully, giving me a little grumble at the end.

And this was why I loved Rose. She had an impeccable talent for cracking me up when she wasn't even trying to do so. I let out a deep belly laugh and stamped my feet on the ground. _Monkey Man 69! _

"Enough with the harassment already. It was just sex! I have known this guy for five years, mind you," Rose argued.

"Online! You've known him online for five years."

"It's not like it wasn't real, Bella. But, I'll hardly take relationship advice from someone who's managed to fuck her own five ways to Tuesday."

I gasped and stuck my tongue out at her, pretending to be utterly hurt by her blatant insult. But I knew Rosalie loved me, and she only said it because of that fact. "Although I'm having a tremendously great time," she started sarcastically. "I've gotta run. The banquet's in two hours and momma needs a facial." She grabbed her stuff and stood to leave. "And when you do talk to Edward, hear him out. What he has to say might surprise you." She gave me a kiss on the cheek and took off, leaving me alone and confused on my hotel couch.

I wanted to be so mad at Edward, so pissed that he allowed such an embarrassing situation to happen to me. It almost felt like he'd set me up, the prick! But then that look of shame flashed through my mind, that look that he gave when he tried to touch me and I wouldn't allow it, and I somehow knew that wasn't true. Edward's feelings for me were incredibly real, so much so that he must have been utterly tormented for the past few . . . weeks? Days? How long had he known about it? How long had he been keeping it from me?

In any case, I needed to get ready for the banquet, and I'd surely knock them dead tonight. After I read over Alice's changes to my speech, which were brilliant, I might add, I hopped in the shower and prepared myself for the act of choosing a dress. After careful consideration, I threw myself into a gorgeous, black, knee length Burberry and chose my strappy Dolce & Gabbana heels, immediately setting to the task of straightening my hair.

Aside from getting the truth out of Edward tonight, and it would be tonight so help me God, I would absolutely torment the shit out of him. He'd see me as gorgeous as I could possibly look tonight, in these heels that pushed my ass to perfect groin height and this dress that practically begged to be pushed up over my waist, and he would have to think about that and know he couldn't lay a fucking finger on me.

When I was finally dressed and ready to go, I gave myself a wink in the mirror and headed out the door. I was waiting at the elevator for about thirty seconds, relishing in how confident I felt about myself tonight, when it happened. I heard a door close down the hall, a few heavy footsteps and then I felt that tingle shoot up my back and that distinctive jolt of nerves cascade down my legs and arms.

_Fuck. _

He was here, somewhere here on my level, and he could see me.

The door seemed to close to my right, so naturally, that's the direction I chose to look up.

And there he was.

I could have crumpled to the floor.

He looked so damned gorgeous, my knees almost buckled from under me. Tonight, he'd chosen his typical black suit jacket and dress pants attire, but his shirt was a shade of green that looked positively radiant on him. His eyes sparkled from under those thick, tousled locks, and as their gaze met mine, he stopped in his tracks, almost hesitant to take another step forward. Then, he seemed to read something in my face that made him continue and, giving me that crooked grin, he averted his gaze to the elevators and closed the distance between us, crossing his hands behind his back.

"Ms. Swan," he greeted.

My brain wanted to be so mad at him, to curse him up and down this hallway, but my heart screamed out to him, begging him to put the pieces back together and make us alright again. "Mr. Cullen," I solemnly replied.

The tension between us was stifling and I started to dread getting into that elevator. If I was on the verge of a freak out just standing here, I couldn't imagine what being in a confined space with him would be like. The doors opened and we both paused, neither of us wanting to make that first move.

_Might as well get this over with._

I took a deep breath and walked into the tiny metal box decorated with maroon wallpaper and dark gray carpeting. I pressed the button for the lobby just as Edward walked in behind me and took his spot at the other side.

"Where are you going, Mr. Cullen?"

"Me?" he asked, seeming taken off guard. "Oh, I'm - I'm going down," he sputtered. "- to the lobby."

I shot him an awkward look as the doors closed in front of us. What was _that_ all about? Was he - was he actually nervous? To be around me?

"I guess I am too," I whispered under my breath.

Then all fell silent and the seconds slowly ticked by, feeling more like hours than small fractions of time. I could literally feel the static energy intensify with each tick of the clock, that undeniable attraction tripling in strength - and it cascaded off us both. We were naturally pulled to each other with such a tremendous force that standing this close to him but not touching him literally drained me. I was fighting this insatiable urge to fling myself across the elevator, wrap my fingers in his hair and beg him to fuck me on the spot. Every bone in my body screamed for it - or maybe that was just my loins.

Regardless, my head was trumping my heart in everything to do with this matter. He owed me an explanation, an apology, hell, anything!

_Tell me SOMETHING, Cullen!  
_  
But _he _owed _me, _and I couldn't be the first to give in.

Just when it seemed I would literally burst from the pressure between us, he pushed the emergency stop button and cleared his throat, the elevator coming to a complete halt before either of us said anything else.

I was about to mutter something. I didn't know what, but there had to be something I could say to break the awkward sensation hovering in the atmosphere, but just as I opened my mouth to start, he spoke instead. "Let me first apologize."

I sighed and turned to face him, leaning against the metal railing on the wall. _This ought to be good._

He took a few steps in my direction, cutting the distance between us down to inches. "I understand that you must be angry with me. And rightfully so." Suddenly, the heat from his body was on me, all over me, making me shiver from its sudden envelopment. Our pelvises were so close, they almost rubbed together and how I yearned to feel that fiery skin against mine again. But I needed to remain tough. He'd pissed me off. He deserved my refusal - but, on the other hand, he also deserved his chance to apologize.

His hand swept over my hair and brushed it behind my ear delicately. He brought his lips centimeters from my cheek and whispered, "Listen closely, Isabella. This may be the only time you ever hear me say this and actually mean it."

"I'm listening," I hissed.

"I'm terribly sorry that I allowed you to walk blindly into that restaurant. I wish I could have been able to tell you more about it, and believe me, I tried."

"I can't honestly say that I would have told you. That's not the reason I'm upset."

"I wasn't finished yet," he teased, lifting my chin so my eyes met his. "And this is the part I really want you hear." It was then that he pried himself in between my legs and pressed his pelvis into mine, forcing me back onto the metal railing at my waist. "I'm sorry that I fell in love with you. Your life would have been incredibly easier had I just kept my dick in my pants."

The emergency phone rang, but we ignored it.

"I should have left you alone, studied you from afar, and kept it at that." The growing bulge in his pants rubbed against my clit and I couldn't help the moan that instinctively fell from my lips. "But, I just - I just couldn't let you be."

"You were studying me?" I managed to murmur, still thankful that my heart hadn't taken over yet. Sensible, logical Bella had a handle on this one.

"To see if the merger would even be a good idea, to see if you would go for it, if you would take to it easily," he started to explain. "To see if there was anything we needed to know about ahead of time. You know, like a drug addiction or an illegitimate child."

"Oh, because that's right up my alley," I snapped in a sarcastic tone.

"We didn't know, Bella." His index finger ran over my cheek with phenomenal bliss, the heat of his contact almost more than I could bare. There was something about his touch, something that literally spoke to my soul. "We didn't know anything," he continued. "And quite honestly, we never thought Jenks would actually go for it. We thought this was going to be a lot more difficult than it was."

"And what do _you _think, Edward? If you go through with this, you won't have a job anymore."

"That's the least of my concerns right now. If that happens, then it happens."

"This whole time - all I've been is just another company to acquire, another field to sow. And you used the fact that I was a woman to get it - you seduced me, Edward! For what? To get a merger that you would have gotten anyway had you just left me alone?"

"No -" he started.

"To see how royally you could fuck over your competition? To see the woman step back into her rightful place behind her _man?_ Why, Edward? Why me? Why now?"

"I just couldn't help myself, alright? The more I learned about you, the more I wanted you."

"So you're obsessed with me?"

"Certainly you already knew that."

I just glared at him.

"There's a lot more to the story than that," he hissed, drawing his lips the slightest bit closer to mine.

"Then explain it to me. Tell me the story."

His jaw tightened in response, as if there was so much he needed to say but wouldn't for whatever reason.

"Edward, tell me. You owe me that much."

The emergency phone rang _and rang_ as we stood there and stared at each other. I was overwhelmed by the fact that he would give up his job for his company, for his family. He'd risk it all, his reputation, his career, any work in the future - for them, for his family, for his father. But, I suppose he had incredibly strong ties to them and they would always take care of him, whether he was in this position or not. He really had nothing to worry about, as this would work out alright for him no matter what. But then again, what Rose confessed earlier stuck with me for some reason. Emmett said he was on the outs with his family - so why would he give it all up?

What was his real motivation?

And what wasn't he telling me? What else was there to the story? Was his hesitation in part to this "investigation" Rose mentioned?

It was time to know the truth. He had been studying me to see if it was a good idea to buy out Dyco Tech, but I'd yet to decide whether Cullen Inc was worth the hassle. Sure, we'd make a lot of money, but if the details of this investigation that Rosalie mentioned involved the company, was I sure I wanted to inherit that mess?

After a few seconds of the blaring ring from the phone, Edward reached over and picked it up. "Yes? . . . Yes, we're alright . . . Any day now would be great." He hung up the receiver and brought his lips millimeters from mine as the elevator started moving again. "Leave your deadbolt unlocked tonight. I'll swipe the maid's card."

"You can't come over, Edward. I meant what I told you in Boston. We really shouldn't -"

"I didn't ask what we should do. I told you what I'm_ going_ to do. We need to talk about this, I need to make this alright. I need - I need to explain." He pressed his lips to my forehead. "I love you, Bella. Please?"

And finally, my heart gave in. "I'll think about it."

"Now, kiss me," he whispered.

"No," I teased. He certainly hadn't earned that.

"Kiss me before those doors open and you lose your chance."

"No," I persisted.

"Kiss me, Bella," he demanded, and somewhere deep down, I couldn't resist him any longer. Our lips met with ferocity, that static energy finally being allowed to flow freely between the two of us, and holy bittersweet agony, it was amazing. It took everything I had to keep my hands from drifting into his hair. I wanted to hold his body as close to mine as it could possibly get. But I knew that neither of us could look ruffled when those doors did open, so I cut the kiss short, gave him a silly grin and wiped the lip gloss off his face.

Pushing him away from me, I adjusted his tie and made sure he looked completely untouched before tending to my own hair and make up.

"Don't bother," he started. "You look beautiful no matter what you do."

"You don't fucking touch me again until the banquet is over. You understand me?" I snapped.

He smiled, but before he could answer, the doors popped open and we were greeted by at least ten people eagerly waiting to get in and go about their merry way. We made our way through the crowd, and everything seemed like it was going okay, until a face by the entrance of the ballroom made my heart jump into my throat. It was that blond devil that had been relentlessly haunting my professional life.

"Good evening, Isabella," Will greeted, grabbing my hand and lifting it to his lips. I could practically feel Edward's eyes roll behind me. He continued walking past us into the Grand Ballroom, leaving me completely to my own defenses with the British investor.

"Good evening, Will. How was your flight here?" I politely responded, glancing around the room for Alice or Rose, someone to rescue me.

"Rather enjoyable, in fact. I have my own jet. Have you been traveling on the major airlines this whole time?"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than I felt the dread wash over me. I had my hesitations about responding to this. I would say yes, and I just knew he would offer his jet from now on, and how could I refuse? "Yes, we have," I nervously answered.

"Oh, well, that's rubbish. You should gather Ms. Brandon and Mr. Jenks to ride with me from now on."

_Called it!_

"Nonrefundable tickets," I quickly lied. Thank goodness for high school drama class. Improvisation skills are a necessity in this line of work. "Thank you for the offer though."

"I understand," he answered. He turned to face the ballroom and placed a hand on my lower back, sort of guiding me in as we walked together. "You look absolutely radiant tonight, might I add." He waved to someone across the room and continued walking toward the table.

"Bella!" yelled a voice from behind me. I quickly turned to find Rose walking toward me with her arms out for a hug.

"Rose!" I greeted with a huge sigh of relief. She walked up to me and wrapped her arms around my shoulders.

"Mr. Dean," she whispered to Will behind me.

"Ms. Hale," he responded with a laugh.

"I hope you don't mind if I steal her away. With Jasper, Jenks, Mrs. Jenks, of all people, Scott and Royce, we've got enough people for our own table," she explained, pointing to a far corner of the room. I saw Alice stand and wave over to me, beckoning me in her direction.

"Of course not," Will sighed. "She's all yours."

"Thanks," Rose smiled warmly at him before turning to walk away.

"I'll catch up with you later," I called to Will.

"We'll dance tonight, you and I," he called back.

I said nothing in return. Dancing with Will was an idea I only desired to entertain when, and if, the event actually rose.  
_  
Would I say yes? _  
I'd rather die. _  
Would I decline him? _  
On a professional level, I couldn't embarrass him that harshly.

At the moment, I found myself more concerned with the reason by Royce's sudden appearance. "When did Royce show up?" I sputtered in Rose's direction.

"Right after I left your room, ironically. Says it was just food poisoning or something. He looks so fucking amazing, it's ridiculous," she whispered as we walked closer to the table where everyone was sitting.

"Rose!" I chided. "Did you forget where you spent your lunch hour today?"

"Please, Bella. He's eye candy, that's the extent of it," she explained. And that much was true. Even I felt a small tingle in the depths of my girly bits when I looked at him. He had that distinctively angled face giving way to a strong jaw and thick, juicy lips. His hair was deep brown, almost black, which cast him in the "dark and mysterious" category. Sure, he was sexy as hell, but something about him, maybe his perfectly sculpted hairdo or utterly fake laugh, completely turned me off. I didn't know what it was exactly, I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but there might as well have been a big red sign above his head that flashed "Danger, Danger!"

Once we had arrived at the table, Jenks, Scott, Royce and Jasper stood to welcome me and I gladly gave each person a polite hello and a handshake before taking my seat next to Alice. Of course, I greeted Jasper with a huge hug. I loved that guy, and he certainly treated Alice like a queen. He was very gentlemanly, had a rich southern accent and thick, curly hair - what's not to love? He was the kind of man your mom was happy you brought home, and that kind of man was perfect for the minx inside of Alice. She liked to be the one that damned the souls of the innocent. Poor Jasper didn't even stand a chance.

As I sat, Jenks and Royce continued the conversation they were having, something about a golf range in upstate New York, and Scott joined in with his two cents about the grass being too thick at that particular course. Alice turned to me and whispered, "I saw you come in with Mr. Dean. I sent Rose to rescue you."

"Thank you," I answered. "He wants to dance with me later tonight."

"What'd you tell him?" she asked.

And suddenly, I felt like I was back in eighth grade and pimpled-face Jimmy Schnauzer was eyeballing me from across the gymnasium at the Halloween dance. "I turned around and walked away."

Alice snickered and brought her napkin to her mouth to hide her laugh. "Friend request denied, huh?"

I smirked just as Abigail Smith tapped the mic and started talking. "I'd like to thank you all for coming this evening. We'll be starting with dinner, the servers are coming around now, and then we'll make our way into the presentations we have prepared for you tonight. I just had a look at them a few minutes ago, and let me assure you, they are astounding."

The dinner went on around me, and I participated as best as I could. Royce and Jasper seemed to hit it off when they discovered a common interest in psychology, Jenks, Mrs. Jenks and Scotty talked amongst themselves, and I ate. I seemed to be lost in my own world, absent mindedly drifting through the anticipation that was clouding my thoughts. Edward had been researching me this whole time to see if this merger would be a good idea. That meant that I had to do the same. I had to find out more about this secret investigation that happened a few months ago. How, exactly, had it put Edward on the outs with his family? Was Jenks unknowingly throwing me onto a sinking ship, all too eager to take me down with it?

I tried to put everything I knew about him together. Months ago, probably about the time he was in Spain, his cousin, Irina, died. A little after that, he came home from his dealings in Europe, got the call from Carlisle to investigate me, and what? Moved into the apartment across the street? There, he developed some sort of fascination with me, including a lust for sketching my most vulnerable moments and watching my every waking move. To be completely honest, I don't remember the last time I closed my curtains in either room of my loft, so he had been given full access to everything Bella all the time.

My favorite breakfast that he made for me when we first start seeing each other was something he'd not only read about, but had seen me make countless times within those few months that he was studying me.

But there was not a bone in my body that wanted to believe Edward's intentions were malicious. He seemed to love me - he acted like he really cared. So why in the hell would he do this? Even if he didn't know a thing about me in the beginning, why would he continue to study me after he realized how he felt?

Through my mindless ramblings, I had been staring at his table blankly. When I finally realized this, I caught eyes with Carlisle who smiled and gave me a small wave before returning to his colleagues.  
_  
Of course!_

Edward loved his family and he loved his father, regardless of any falling out they may have had. Carlisle was the one who sent him to Europe, the one who called him home and the one who set him on me in the first place - and then the kid fell in love. And what was he going to do? Tell his father that he'd fallen in love with the competition? Tell him that he couldn't do his job any more because his heart had taken over when his his head failed to see logic anymore?

And what would Carlisle have done? Kicked him out of the family business? Sent him packing? Hell, if Carlisle was vicious enough to get his son to be a spy in the first place, then who could tell what he would be capable of? And once Edward realized his feelings for me but knew he had to keep them a secret, he must have felt so incredibly torn between telling me and not telling me. There must have been this ginormous loyalty to his heart for recognizing its perfect counterpart. But on the other hand, his head must have been telling him to stop it, to end his obsession with me because of what it meant for his career. And he had felt this way through the entirity of our relationship.

I thought about the first conversation I'd ever had with him - that night in my office. He must have meant for it to be short and sweet, but instead, it was long and quite flirtatious, leading to a night on the elevator that changed us both forever.  
_  
Wow!  
_  
This certainly puts a different spin on things.

I wasn't even sure I could still be mad at him. If my theory was true, how could I? He was just doing his job. He didn't know he would fall in love. He didn't know we would be so perfect for each other.

Moreover, did I even want to be the CEO of a company owned by Carlisle? Would it only land me in jail? Is that where Carlisle, himself, was headed?

"Bella," Alice suddenly hissed.

I jerked back into life, reality finally catching up to me. "What?"

"They're calling your name. Get up."

I looked around me. The room was dark, the dinner plates were gone, and I was half way through a glass of champagne. My second, perhaps? In either case, it was time for me to get on that stage. I winced from the sudden spotlight on me as made my way through the room. I walked to the mic, thanked Abigail for the introduction, and started the speech off with a joke - something to lighten the tension surrounding the recent allegations about my personal life.

"It's a good thing I'm in a room full of doctors. I think I might have a heart attack if another photographer jumps out at me," I started with a laugh.

And the room politely chuckled in response. Tense atmosphere considered lifted.

"But we're not here to talk about that. We're here to discuss the advances in medicinal technology made by my company in particular. So without further ado," I continued, pointing to the screen with my hand to indicate the start of my presentation. And it went even better than the one in Boston. I held the audience's attention the entire time, and my tiny one liners were not lost on the crowd, who received them with boisterous laughter and chatter.

When it was over, I was welcomed back to my table with standing ovations from everyone, including Mrs. Jenks, who was a shriveled old hag at best. When Jenks was still coming to work every day, she would be found toting along behind him, commenting on how people were dressed as if they couldn't hear her. But that was the point. She was too conservative to actually say it to them, but if they overheard her say it to someone else, it was just hearsay rather than an actual accusation.

She lightly tapped her hand in applause and gave me a small smile with her thin, crisp lips. I thanked everyone politely and took my seat just as Abigail announced Edward Cullen. He rose from his seat across the room and slowly walked to the stage, flashing a shit eating grin as he did. Regardless of what was going on between us, I always felt this surge of nerves in the pit of my stomach whenever I saw him, and tonight was no different. I licked my lips and sighed, trying to calm myself down.

Once he was in front of the mic, he ran his hands through his hair and choked a tiny laugh before starting his presentation. Something was off about him. He seemed much more nervous, much more tense. He wasn't nearly as confident as he had been two days ago - and perhaps some of that had to do with what was going on between us.

Whatever the case, he seemed to amuse the audience well enough to hold their attention, and they gave him almost as strong an applause as the one they gave me. He smiled in response and, for a brief second in time, met eyes with me. Time seemed to slow down in that exchange, somehow intertwining Edward and I in a solitary embrace. He nodded his head, flashed that crooked grin and walked off stage, time taking its cue to speed right the fuck back up.

And there I was, back in reality. Jenks cleared his throat and leaned into the table, gesturing my direction. "Wasn't nearly as good as yours, dear," he whispered with a generous nod. I laughed awkwardly and nodded, accepting his compliment graciously.

Once the presentations were done, I excused myself to go to the bathroom. I handled my business and exited the stall, walking to the sink to wash my hands. Just as I went to squirt some soap in my palm, a familiar figure exited the stall next to mine.

"Isabella," the old woman croaked.

"Mrs. Jenks," I replied with a smile.

Her lips tightened into a thin grin, if indeed it was a grin at all. She seemed to analyze me, from the base of my heels to the tip of my head. "That's a lovely dress," she started.

"Why, thank you," I wistfully responded.

"But, as I remember it, you were always a fan of the longer gowns, were you not?"

My eyebrows squinted in confusion.

"Which leads me to wonder who you're trying to impress."

"I've bought some new clothes recently that I want to show off. Is there something wrong -"

"How long have you been seeing the Cullen boy?" she interrupted. And my heart immediately jumped into my throat. My head snapped right up to her.

"Ex - excuse me?" I sputtered.

"If it's not the British pit bull, it must be the Cullen boy."

_British pit bull. Hah!_

Even if this old broad knew my secret, I had to admit, she had spunk.

But I had bigger fish to fry. _This old broad knew my secret_ - and these next few seconds were critical. I could tell her the truth and pray that she didn't tell Jenks, or I could try my best to lie to her. But obviously she had my number if she deduced all of this just by the type of dress I was wearing. So lying seemed like the worst option out of the two.

"Oh, don't fret, honey. Jason hasn't said a word to me in fifteen years. I come to these things for the free booze." She walked next to me and began washing her hands in the sink. Her use of Jenks' first name sort of threw me off for a minute. I was so used to just calling him "Jenks", it was strange when someone actually referred to him by his first name.

"A little over a month," I whispered.

She nodded, her tense smile instantly turning more generous and kind. "I was just curious how his dear old father, Carlisle, was doing." She shot me a wink, smiled wider and walked out of the bathroom.

_That geriatric minx!_

I almost couldn't believe she'd just insinuated that she'd had an affair with Carlisle.

_What the hell was my life coming to?_

After drying my hands on a paper towel, I walked out of the bathroom and headed for my table, only to notice a large crowd of investors and rich doctors around it. Jenks was carousing them all outside for cigars. Sadly, that was a pastime I'd have to skip. Cigar smoke made me nauseous. I took a few steps toward Alice, but just as I did, Jasper grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the dance floor, where a few couples had already started to sway back and forth to "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton. I figured it would be okay because Rose would keep me company, but even she had found a dance partner in Royce, who was currently escorting her to the floor himself.

I'd be the only one sitting at the table, and part of me reconsidered joining Jenks and the mass crowd of gentlemen investors outside. Of course, I _could_ go mingle with Lady "Minx" Jenks at the bar. But I had no desire to know how big Carlisle's schlong was or how hard he could thrust.

And that's when I noticed William Dean approaching me. Of course. _Our dance._

"How was your dinner?" he politely asked once he had closed the distance between us.

"Fabulous, yours?"

"Delicious. Are you ready for that dance, Ms. Swan?"

Every bone in my body grumbled and locked into place. I'd literally have to force my feet into moving forward.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Will? What with all the rumors already surrounding us?"

"But, alas, rumors they are. No one takes those allegations seriously."

"My boss does," I quickly snapped.

He sat his drink down on my table and grabbed my hand, gently wrapping it between his. "Just one innocent dance. That's all I'm asking, Isabella."

"I'll dance with you if you promise to stop this nagging persistence to get me to jump off something," I mused with a little smile.

"Willingly." He kissed the top of my knuckles and shot me a tiny wink, pulling me delicately onto the dance floor. Once there, he wrapped his arm around me and placed his hand on my lower back, gripping my other palm in his to our side. We started swaying back and forth to the beat, the music seeming so wrong for this moment between us.

_"It's late in the evening; she's wondering what clothes to wear.  
She puts on her make-up and brushes her long blonde hair.  
And then she asks me, "Do I look all right?"  
And I say, "Yes, you look wonderful tonight."_

My gaze met Wills and he smiled gently at me, softly leaning into my ear to whisper, "Why do you want me to stop asking you to skydive with me?"

"It's a futile effort," I joked in response.

"No, I don't believe it is. You'll give into me sooner or later," he teased, shooting me a little wink.

"And what makes you think that?"

"Most women usually do, even the strong willed ones such as yourself."

"I'm not like most women," I immediately responded, with a small shake of my head.

"Thank God for that, huh?" he joked.

_"We go to a party and everyone turns to see  
This beautiful lady that's walking around with me.  
And then she asks me, "Do you feel all right?"  
And I say, "Yes, I feel wonderful tonight."_

And that's the exact moment that our sway intersected the point of view of one Edward Cullen. My gaze met his and my heart instantly broke. He looked so - angry, so uncomfortable, as if he was fighting the urge to come over here and deck William Dean. But what could he do? Certainly he couldn't be that stupid. And he wouldn't.

That's not to say I wouldn't hear about this later - I would definitely get this dance spanked, pounded, bitten, teased out of me somehow, but it didn't matter. This was what would happen if he didn't come clean with me about everything. He needed to know how badly he'd upset me. So, when Will pulled me closer to him, I allowed it. When he brushed the hair out of my face, I allowed it. But I somehow couldn't tear my eyes away from Edward.

"Have you decided what you wanted to do for your Las Vegas birthday?" Will suddenly asked.

I pursed my lips and giggled the slightest bit. Quite honestly, I hadn't even thought about it since the last time he brought it up. "I'll let you know," I mused.

"Be sure you do. Whatever you decide, the entire night is on me."

"No, no. That won't be necessary."

"I insist," he continued. "In fact, if you want to grab Ms. Brandon and her - husband? Is it? - grab her and her fellow and have a VIP party at the Hotel Winn, it's my treat. They know me there." He smiled gently, somehow trying to break through my icy exterior. I must have seemed like such a huge challenge to him, a mountain that must be overcome, a jump that needed to be tried, if only once - just to see how it feels.  
_  
"I feel wonderful because I see  
The love light in your eyes.  
And the wonder of it all  
Is that you just don't realize how much I love you._"

And then I felt even worse. This was supposed to be Edward and I up here, all eyes were supposed to be on us, not William Dean. And, even though I hated the rumors, I found myself doing nothing to prevent them from being created. At least if the public eye was distracted by the British pit bull, they wouldn't notice what Mrs. Jenks had - they wouldn't see my dirty laundry, my tiny secret hidden in the heels I wore or the dress I donned.

"So this gentleman that you're sort of seeing, does he have a name?"

"He does," I coyly responded.

When I didn't elaborate, Will smiled and leaned a little closer to me. "Give me a name, just a name. You can tell a lot about a man by his name."

"Don't worry. It's a strong, sturdy British name. It's very - fitting."

"So, you're seeing a John? Or a Luke?"

"Perhaps," I teased.

"A Henry, perhaps?"

"You'll never guess it. And a lady never tells, isn't that correct?"

"Indeed it is," he admitted.  
_  
"It's time to go home now and I've got an aching head,  
So I give her the car keys and she helps me to bed.  
And then I tell her, as I turn out the light,  
I say, "My darling, you were wonderful tonight.  
Oh my darling, you were wonderful tonight." _

"Thank you for dancing with me, Isabella. It was quite the honor," he whispered once the song had come to an end.

"Thank you for not allowing me to sit alone at my table while Clapton was playing," I politely responded in return.

He smiled and licked his lips. "You're a fan of Clapton?"

"Of course," I immediately answered with a laugh.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I love him."

"Hmm," he hummed in response and shrugged, opting to escort me back to my seat. But in doing so, he would have to walk me right passed the Cullen table. I tried my best to hold myself together as I passed Edward, and I got a huge whiff of his cologne on the way which only tempted me even further. God, this was torture. I felt his stare on me as we passed, and it was all I could do not to meet his gaze in return. I knew I had to stay away from him for my own well being, yet every waking second, I found myself resisting this urge to throw myself at him.

Once back at the table, Royce and Dean talked for a few minutes, eventually leading into a huge debate over universal health care - a topic I neither cared about nor had an opinion on. So, I opted to finish my glass of champagne, say goodnight to the table and head for my room. It was late, I had another big day tomorrow, and if Edward's glare was any indication, I was bound to have a long fricking night. I should probably try to get some sleep before he crept over.

Our eyes met across the room just as I was leaving. He seemed too uncomfortable for words - and perhaps he had every right to be. Maybe I shouldn't have danced with Will, but like I mentioned, I couldn't risk professionally embarrassing him. He'd asked me to dance, and that's where it stopped. We didn't even flirt so much to speak of, so Edward had no excuse for being so upset.

I gestured toward the elevator with my head and smiled before turning around and walking away from the entire night. No doubt Will was a "Baby Name" book away from discovering the identity of my secret lover, and Mrs. Jenks was renowned for getting drunk and spilling everybody's business. The figurative shit was about to hit the fan any day now. It was just a matter of time at this point.

I rode the elevator alone to my floor, and once in my room, I pulled the clip out of my hair and unzipped my dress, casually stepping out of it and placing it back in its bag in the closet. I kicked off my heels and pulled the tights off my legs, stretching as I came to the realization that it was a "boxers and tank top" kind of night. Walking through my suite, I picked up the various items thrown about as I would have to check out early tomorrow, and getting most of the packing done tonight was a priority. Eventually, I found myself standing in front of my door, staring at the deadbolt with a "fun-sized" Grey Goose in my hand. Alas, the most important question of the night still plagued me. Do I lock the dead bolt like my gut was telling me? Or do I listen to my heart and leave it open for Edward?

Surely, I was still pissed at him - if only just a little bit. It did amuse me the slightest to see him stumble over his speech at dinner - but I was more concerned with what was wrong with him than anything else. What could that mean?

In one blinding, resolute moment - I knew. I loved him. I meant every word I said last night. So as much as I wanted to be mad, as much as I wanted to "conquer and destroy" and drive my five inch stilletto into his balls, I would hear him out and ultimately forgive him. Because that's what people who love each other do, right?

And certainly, I wasn't the most perfect person in the world either.

It was simple, the boy deserved the chance to explain. And it would be granted.

Besides, at the very least, I'd get "angry-this-is-the-last-time-I'm-fucking-you-last-ditch-effort" sex, and surely that was better than no sex at all.

So I left the door unlocked, clicked off all the lights and climbed into my bed. I tried like hell to fall asleep, but my mind only raced with nagging questions about Edward's intentions for me. What story could he possibly tell that would make everything alright? How would he be able to explain? Did I hit the nail on the head earlier? Had Carlisle really put him up to this the entire time?

My eyes slowly shutting from exhaustion, I allowed those thoughts to give way to subconscious images of sailing away from my entire life.

Certainly, I'd made some serious money, but I was beginning to wonder if this job was really for me. Could I handle the constant scrutiny? Could I really deal with all of this political etiquette nonsense?

The next thing I knew, it was two am and the door to my suite had just been shut. Edward was here. He hadn't bailed on me tonight.

He quietly walked through the living room into my bedroom and around the bed. I kept my eyes shut, waiting to see what he would do. Would he try to wake me up, or would he sit for a little while and ponder the best way to break this to me?

God, what it would be like to have just a minute inside his head! I wondered what he was thinking, what had he really done that was so bad, how he really felt about me - all of these things would be answered tonight.

"Bella?" he whispered.

My eyes slowly opened to see him knelt down beside the bed, his face merely inches from mine. "Hello," I murmured.

He laughed and leaned in to give me a kiss on the head. "Hello," he muttered against my skin. "May I join you?"

I considered this for a minute and nodded, gesturing to the other side of the bed. "You get the cold spot." He gave me a small nod and climbed over my body, nestling into the spot to my right. I rolled over to face him and pulled my blanket a little tighter around me. "So, tell me a story," I started.

He fixed the pillow under his head and sighed, running his hands over his eyes in frustration. "I'm not really sure where to start."

"Why don't you just start at the beginning?"

"You have to realize how incredibly difficult this is going to be for me to explain."

"What's so difficult about it?"

"In telling you, I'll not only admit to having practically stalked you for months, but I'll openly confess to fraud, blackmail, espionage, and various other felonies. I'm just not sure how that's going to affect us. I'm not a good guy, Bella. I've done things - terrible things that I wish I could just erase from my memory."

"Have you done any of those things to me?"

He ran his hand over my hair and brushed it out of my face. "No," he murmured, shaking his head slightly. "Not yet."

"Not yet?"

"Well, I _was _going to use your treasure chest full of sex toys against you, ya know? Pin you as some sort of twisted sex freak - but I figured it was wiser to just take advantage of that entire situation privately," he whispered.

I glared at him for a minute, waiting to see if he was being serious. When his face burst into a ginormous smile, I smacked his arm and started laughing. "Stop fucking with me, Cullen."

"There's nothing to use against you, Bella. You've led an honest, clean life. Good for you."

"Then you have nothing to worry about, do you? So tell me."

He sighed and gave me another small laugh. "I need to know that what I tell you personally will stay personal. Everything that I'm about to say is completely off the record, and if you bring it up again, I'll firmly deny it."

"Edward, I'm about to inherit your company and all the baggage that comes along with it. So whether you tell me now, or I find out later, I'm going to know all of your dirty little secrets. Personally, I think it's better if you just tell me now."

"Okay - well -" He took a deep breath and let the air vibrate his lips on the way out. "Once upon a time -"

"Wait a minute. Once upon a time?" I interrupted.

"Do you want to hear the story or not?"

I pursed my lips and quirked an eyebrow in response. "Go on."

"Once upon a time, there was a young, handsome Prince, fully capable of handling the dynasty he was set to inherit. The old King would resign from his post as leader and allow the young Prince to step into his place. But in order to get this great honor, the King told the Prince that he needed to go on a mission. He needed to find a way to make all of the enemy territories assimilate. In doing so, there would be order and conformity amongst the kingdom, thus creating a "Golden Age." The King told the Prince that there would be those that were unwilling, and the Prince was to do whatever was in his power to find a weakness and bring them down. And so the Prince did as he was commanded, by any means necessary." Edward stopped to put emphasis on those words particularly.

"Eventually," he continued. "There was only one person standing in the King's way: an evil but beautiful Witch across the sea that had thwarted the King for decades. The King sent his Prince to investigate the Witch, to seduce her if necessary, to find anyway to bring her down. But every effort the Prince put into place seemed to be in vain. The Witch had simply done nothing wrong to deserve her dethronement. Over time, the King got more bloodthirsty and impatient and demanded the Witch's head on a silver platter. But the Prince didn't have it in him anymore. The Prince had fallen in love with the Witch, and there simply wasn't a bone in his body that wanted the King's dynasty any longer. The Prince longed to take his Witch and run away from it all." He stopped and looked over at me, as if that was it, as if there wasn't a hundred more details to the entire story.

It also seemed strange to me that he told me this story in third person - like it was a bad dream or happened to someone else. But I don't think that was the case. I think he wished it _had_ happened to someone else, like the things he had done were almost too much for him to bear.

But I decided I would amuse him and play along.

"Then what happened?" I urged.

"The Prince snuck into the Witch's room to confess everything that he had been up to this whole time."

"And what did the Witch do?"

"That remains to be seen."

"Well," I rolled onto my back and fluffed the pillow under my head. "I deduced that much from what you told me in the elevator. How long have you been researching me, Edward?"

"Quite a while. Well before we ever started - _meeting_."

"And your intent was to 'dethrone' me, as it were?"

"Originally."

"But that's no longer your intent?"

"How can it be? Jenks has all but signed the merger contracts. Everything I've done, everything I've learned about you, every piece of insignificant dirt I could dig up, it was all a wasted effort."

"So, when did you decide that you weren't going to 'take me down' anymore?"

"Right around the same time I realized you weren't something I was going to easily get over."

And I started laughing. I couldn't help it. "Edward, how could you have possibly been in love with me? You hadn't even spoken to me."

"That much is true. But it doesn't mean I didn't know you."

I rolled my eyes and nodded in agreement. I suppose he had a certain point. "So, what are you going to do now? Slice me up into little pieces? Kidnap me and hide me in your basement for seventeen years?"

"I thought about it, but I think that assistant of yours could take me, so I regretfully decided against it."

"Understandably," I replied with a giggle.

He started laughing and rolled to face me. "So, may I ask you a question now?"

"As long as you don't get me off topic. I'm still trying to digest all of this."

"Why are you taking this so well?"

This was the second time someone had asked me this question today. I must be putting up a good face, regardless of how badly I was tearing myself up on the inside. "Oh, I'm a wreck, Edward, trust me. I'm just too exhausted to deal with it right now."

"I've just admitted to spying on you for the last however long because I wanted to take your career from you, and you're too exhausted to deal with it?"

And somewhere deep inside, he had hit the nail on the head. Sure, Edward _had _malicious intents for me months ago, but there wasn't a bone in my body that was convinced that he continued to harbor those intentions. In fact, I felt so damned secure in my position that it should be me begging Edward for his forgiveness. He was bound to lose his job the minute Jenks signed those papers.

He had put his entire life on the line for Carlisle, gone so far as to commit several felonies just to secure the future of his company, and _all of it _was for nothing. The final prize, Dyco Tech, would be willingly handed over and he would lose his dynasty anyway. Money wasn't an issue because his family would take care of him in any case, but the glory that came with being the first CEO of this hybrid company would be mine and mine alone. Now that Edward knew that, perhaps he felt as though he had nothing to hide anymore. He probably felt like a million tons had been lifted off his chest. But those tons had incidentally found their way on to mine. And I was positive I would develop PTSS or some other mental ailment from this whole experience, regardless of how I was reacting on the outside.

"Yeah, I guess that's right," I confessed. "No sense worrying about it now, huh? I've already made my bed, now I just have to sleep in it."

He laughed and nodded in response. "I suppose that's true."

"Why are you taking this so well?" I asked. "Shouldn't you be freaking out about losing your job?"

He opened his mouth to say something, but seemed to be at a loss for words because he instantly snapped his jaw shut and shrugged. "I honestly don't think I want it anymore. Besides, I figure you're a much better candidate for CEO than I would ever be."

"Then why did Carlisle promote you?"

"I demanded it. It came with doing - the things he didn't want to do. He -" Edward stopped and ran his hands over his face in frustration, rolling onto his back again. "He needs to retire, Bella. It's in the company's best interest. If he continues on the rate he's going, he'll be in jail within ten years. It's either him or me, and I'm done doing his dirty work."

"Edward," I started, almost afraid to continue my question, but I just had to know. "What's the worst thing you've ever done for him?"

"The worst thing I've ever done wasn't done for him."

"Uh oh. That sounds dark and ominous. What'd ya do?"

"Perhaps some other time," he murmured, rolling to face me. I considered pressing the issue further, but it'd been a long, rough day and my body was demanding only one of two things. Sex or sleep. He inched closer and pressed his index finger under my chin, pulling my gaze to meet his. "Are you terribly upset with me?"

"Ask me again tomorrow," I replied.

"In that case -" He leaned in and planted a small, soft kiss on my lips. "I'll talk to you tomorrow. Goodnight, Ms. Swan."

He went to get up, but I grabbed his hand to pull him back to me. "Wait," I demanded.

He stopped and looked down at me, balancing his weight on his elbow by my rib cage. "Yes?"

A thousand things to say ran through my mind. I thought of things like _"Aren't you going to fuck me?" _or _"Our angry sex is hot, so I don't care if I'm pissed at you, you're fucking me." _But in the end, nothing seemed appropriate so I wrapped my hands behind his neck and pulled his face on mine, our lips connecting passionately. He seemed surprised, tense, but then he gave in and pushed the blankets down around my knees before climbing in between them.

Our kissing became frenzied, filled with this overwhelming urge to remember why we had gotten into trouble to begin with. His skin on mine was always the best thing I'd ever felt, and it continued to get better and better with each night we were together.

This night, in particular, was primal, panicked, almost as if we both knew - down in the pit of our guts - that this would be the last time we were together for quite a while. Edward took a great risk coming to my room tonight, and the risk would only get bigger with the cities we were headed to. As his fingers ghosted down my tank top, his pelvis rubbed against mine, creating an indescribable charge of kinetic energy between my legs. Each moan that fell from his lips only amplified it until it encompassed my entire being. Nerves were backfiring, chills were escalating, and my heart was pounding so hard, I could feel it radiate through my skull.

His dick got harder and stiffer with each pass over my clit - the soft cotton of my boxers, once delicate to the touch, now wet and rough with need for him. He pounded his pelvis into mine, slowly raking his cock over my throbbing pussy. And my hands were all over him, in his hair, scratching down his back, pushing him harder into me, seemingly all at once.

"Hmm, but what to do with you?" he hissed, pulling away from me slightly.

"What do you mean?" I breathlessly asked, trying to close the space between us.

"Surely I can't let you get away with that performance on the dance floor tonight," he teased, kissing his way down my jawline to my neck.

"Oh, and what are you going to do about it, huh?" I teased, pushing my pelvis up to meet his again. "Piss and moan?"

"Hmm," he hummed and went to climb off me, much to my dismay.

I laughed and grabbed his black tee shirt by the collar to pull him back down on me. "Don't be jealous . . . there's no reason for that."

He chuckled and fell down on the bed, supporting his weight on his elbows on either side of my head. "Are you saying I should forgive you for such an indiscretion?"

"Unless you want me to hold your tendency for committing felonies against you."

He started laughing and pressed his lips to mine again. "I haven't committed a crime in over six months," he pouted, almost as if it was the most normal thing in the world to say that - like CEO's of multi-billion dollar companies say that all the time.

"Until you count stalking."

"I only stalk you, and I'd be willing to bet that you love that." His dick rubbed against my clit again and I damn near fell apart. I wanted him so badly, I wanted him to fuck the shit out of me, and he insisted on being such a damn tease.

"Fuck me, Edward."

"No," he protested, using the same tone I'd used earlier in the elevator.

"Fuck me now, or you'll lose your chance."

He smiled and leaned a little closer to me, bringing his face closer to mine teasingly. "No," he whispered slowly, dragging the entire length of his dick over my pussy at a slow, tortuous pace. I could little feel my boxers getting more soaked by the second.

"Fuck. Me." I pressed my fingers into his hips and pulled him as close to me as he could possibly get. "Before I change my mind."

"And what if I change my mind?" he retorted.

"You. Wouldn't. Dare." I wrapped my legs around his waist and hooked them together behind his back.

He stopped and pulled back from me, grinding his pelvis harder into mine. God, I was about to explode. My clit couldn't take much more of this. "Wouldn't I?" he asked in a tone that suggested he was completely the wrong person to say that to. _Of course_, he'd get up and walk away just to prove the point that he could - and would if he wanted to. He was Edward fucking Cullen, and I'd be the first to tell you that he had gotten up and walked away having done a lot more than a few minutes of dry humping. But that was over a month ago. Could he do it again?

And suddenly, I was curious. Very, _very, _curious.

I quirked an eyebrow in response and pulled my head away to look him square in the eyes. I slowly uncrossed my legs behind his back and dragged my feet down his ass and the back of his thighs, placing them on either side of him. "Then go." I put my hands under the pillow, propping my head up to bring me closer to him. I gave him a devious look and the most daring smile I could muster.

He raised an eyebrow, seeming to consider my command thoroughly before replying. "You know I will, Bella."

"Go on, then. I want to see you get up and walk over to that door, open it and walk down the hall with -" I reached between us and firmly wrapped my fingers around the tip of his cock through his gym shorts. He moaned and collapsed into me the slightest bit. "- this monster standing at full attention. Go on. Wait, let me get my video camera. I'm sure I can sell the footage to Eleazar Michael once this whole thing blows up in our faces. I don't really need the money, but I think it'll be hilarious." I almost instantly regretted admitting to this. I was sure the only thing he would hear out of that sentence was _"my video camera"_ and who knew where that would lead us?

His dick must have gotten the better of him, because he simply sighed and whispered, "You make a very valid point." He raked the boxers down my legs and over my feet, throwing them over his shoulder before climbing back on top of me. "Anything for you, love. Anything for you." His hand disappeared between us, and the next thing I knew, his lips were crashing against mine once more and that splendid piece of masculine muscle stretched its way inside of me.

I wasn't even sure if he managed to get his black gym shorts all the way off before the urge to take me hit. It was possible he pushed them down to his knees or maybe even just over his dick, but it didn't fucking matter.

I was too consumed with what a glorious feeling it was to have him here, on top of me, devouring me - loving me the way a man truly should love his woman.

And that much was the truth.

I was his - in every way I could be.

He had my heart, my body, and, in less than two months, he'd likely have my company as well.

There was no escaping it now. I couldn't even stop it if I wanted to.

Regardless of what he'd set out to do to me, Edward had done nothing more than love me - unconditionally - whether I danced with Mr. William Dean or stole him from Edward's clientele list.

And I knew now, more than I'd ever known before, that Edward was mine - on all accounts.

I was panting and sweating and gripping and scratching and it was all I could to maintain my hold on reality. He rested his forehead against mine and lifting my hands above my head, pinning them there with one hand. The other, he placed on my hip for leverage as he pushed deeper inside of me. The next thing I knew, I was pressing my face into a pillow just to subdue the loud scream threatening to creep its way up the back of my throat.

My orgasm overcame me, pulling me under the heavy weight of utter bliss. He rode through the high with me, coaxing my G-Spot with each thrust of his dick. My vision went white, my head started spinning, and damned if I didn't feel like everything that I'd ever done in my life was leading me up to this very moment. I truly loved Edward and, somehow, everything about us had become completely intertwined. It seemed that there was no me without him any longer.

Hell, he couldn't even piss me off anymore. As much as I tried to be upset about this whole thing, I only found myself thrilled anytime we were able to meet like this.

"That looked fun," he hissed once my breathing and panting had returned to normal.

"Hm, it was," I replied, biting my bottom lip.

He hummed and wrapped his arms around my shoulders before rolling to the side and taking me with him. I ended up on top, straddling his waist with his hands on either side of my hips. He pushed me against him, rocking our bodies together in glorious rhythm. His fingers dragged up the side of my body, eventually cupping my breast and circling my nipple. I leaned down and kissed him passionately, begging for another release.

And with it, came Edward's climax as well. His eyes squinted shut, his face twisted into euphoria and his fingers tightened around my breast, squeezing until it was almost painful. I absolutely loved that face. In one expression of sheer pleasure, he conveyed so much. This wasn't just an ordinary fuck anymore, and this face was unlike any other he had given before. The creases in his face were more relaxed, his jaw fell open casually, and the moan of relief that escaped his throat was enough to get me riled up again. This was relaxed, comfortable, sex. And it came because there was finally no boundaries between us anymore. Edward was now able to be himself around me - no longer afraid that I would learn his secret or that I would disappear on him.

I truly loved him - and I wasn't going anywhere.

My entire future flashed before my eyes. A beautiful house in Upstate New York, a huge mansion with three dogs playing out in the yard, a room completely devoted to his paintings and another devoted to the high tech gizmos I had acquired over the course of my career. But what made me believe it would really happen was the look in his eyes when I imagined him walking through the front door. It was the very same look he was giving me right now - love, adoration, pride, devotion, it poured off him like a waterfall. And it was an expression I never wanted to forget.

When it was over, I collapsed on top of him and pressed my ear to his ribcage, relishing in the fast pulse that echoed back at me. Ba-da-dum, ba-da-dum, ba-da-dum. I'd absolutely fallen in love with everything about him, especially this sound, this pulse, which never failed to reiterate that it beat for me, and solely for me alone.

This was my heart, my chest, my five o'clock shadow, my perfect lips - and now that I knew I would be allowed to have it completely, and eventually publicly, heaven help the woman who tries to take it away from me.

It wasn't long until I rolled off Edward and sighed, cuddling into my pillows and blankets with the aftermath of a fantastic orgasm flowing through my veins. He wrapped his arm over my stomach and pulled me closer to him, as if any distance between us whatsoever was unacceptable.

I thought about asking if the sex was equally as good for him, but that face during his orgasm was enough to convince me that it was, and so the question was superfluous. But the silence was killing me. I needed to say something to him. "So, why was I the witch? Why wasn't I a Princess or a Queen of a far off land?"

He chuckled and nuzzled his nose closer to my neck, inhaling deep to breath every last bit of me. "The witch seemed more appropriate at the time."

"And why is that?"

"You've cursed me. The worst part is that when it happened, you had no idea you were even doing it."

"Hmm," I hummed, running my hands over my hair.

Then it fell silent again. I could literally hear the wheels ticking in that beautiful mind of his. But what was he thinking about? Had he not had a good time? Did I do something he didn't like? Before I could ask, he sighed and opened his mouth to speak.

"If you could redo any moment of your life, what would it be?"

And this was quite the thought provoking question. I never thought about it, really. I tried not to regret anything. I tried to make the right decision the first time I had to make it so that it didn't haunt me down the road. But I had to say something, anything. "When I was fifteen, I told my father that I didn't love him and I never wanted to see him again. I was just acting out, of course, but the look on his face when I said that almost broke my heart. I have a feeling he believed me - and still does to this day."

"Are you particularly close with your father?"

"He lives in Washington, so it's hard to see him. But I try to call him when I can. I haven't seen him in a long, long time."

"Is that hard for you?" he asked.

"It makes trusting men difficult. I always think they're about to walk out on me like Charlie did to my mom. Of course, she forced him to go - but that's not what it looks like through a six year old's eyes."

"My parents were always gone; my father out on business and my mother at social events. Even at the height of their marriage, the very best parts I can remember, he was cheating on her. It makes it hard for me to trust relationships in general. Someone's always cheating on someone else."

"I'm not cheating on you," I added.

"But you, my dear, _are_ cheating on your boss. He doesn't know you're here with me_, _and if he did, he wouldn't condone it. But he, in turn, is cheating on his wife, and has been for decades. And, she is cheating on him, and my father, and her various other suitors, and they in turn are cheating on other people that they know. Everybody cheats, Bella. Everybody cheats."

I opened my mouth to reply, only to find that there was nothing to say. I didn't necessarily agree with him, but he did have a certain point. This is perhaps the reason why he kept quiet for so long about everything - particularly the details surrounding his family. He said he trusted me, and that might have been true, but he didn't trust what was going on between us. And had he spilled all of that to me ahead of time, Lord knows what I would have done with it if we didn't work out. "If you could redo any moment in your life, what would you do differently?" I murmured.

"I would have come home this past Christmas like my mother wanted me too."

"You stayed in Spain?"

"I was working on a tough client. He _really _didn't want to sell his company and I somehow finagled him into it. After he signed the paperwork, he regretted it and sent someone after me."

"He sent someone after you?"

"Guns blazing, shouting to the heavens that I was a liar and a swindler and an extortionist - which wasn't terribly far from the truth at the time," Edward explained. "Irina was there. She was trying to convince me to come home, to stop my nonsense in Europe, to stand up to my father and tell him that what I was doing was wrong. But I was too stubborn to listen. I was seeing green - I only cared about the money." Edward stopped and rolled onto his back, pressing his index finger and thumb into his eyes.

"This guy broke into my office, stalked the hallways floor by floor, and when he found us, he fired three times before I could react." Edward paused, as if the memory was too much for him to handle, as if he loathed telling this story, which he must have done hundreds of times by now. "Those few seconds have played over and over in my mind a million times since then, yet I've never been able to get a good handle on what really happened, why he shot her instead of me, why I escaped unscathed. Either she jumped in the way at the last second or his hand was shaking too bad to make a straight shot. But he got her - all three times - right in front of me - and I was helpless to do anything about it." His voice was broken, choked, as if he was on the verge of tears and would break down any second.

I didn't know what to say or do - I'd never seen him like this. I scooted closer to him and straddled his waist, bringing my face millimeters from his. "I'm so sorry that happened to you."

"I told you I wasn't a good guy, Bella. I told you that you wouldn't like the picture on my puzzle."

"What are you talking about? What does any of this have to do with -" I started.

"I killed him, Bella. I'm a murderer," Edward explained, his eyes tightening with stress. "He shot her and, as soon as I realized what had happened, I grabbed the revolver I keep in the top drawer of my desk, and I shot him right between the eyes. And once he was on the ground, I shot him again, and again, _and again._" Edward's voice strained and cracked, indicating that he was not only telling the truth, but that he had been bottling this up inside for so long, it was almost about to burst. Edward took a deep breath and started speaking again. "If I could take anything back in the world, it would be the irrational anger that I showed that man, the hatred that spilled out of me in the minutes after he shot my cousin. She wouldn't have wanted me to do that. She wouldn't have wanted the mess that came after her death."

And I was awestruck.

Wow.

Holy fucking shit.

What the fuck was I supposed to say now?

How was I supposed to take this? My mind was reeling. I wasn't sure if I should be scared, or upset, or - I didn't exactly know how to feel. It's not everyday that the love of your life tells you that he's killed a man before. And how emotionally draining it must be to carry around a load of that magnitude? No one I'd ever loved closely had died, needless to say right in front of me. I couldn't even begin to imagine how that would feel. "Edward - I'm - I'm -"

"You don't have to say anything - I didn't tell you so that you could try to make me feel better about it. I told you so that you would know, so that you would understand _why _I need to get out of this business, why I didn't want to take the position to begin with." His gaze finally met mine, and sure enough, they were sparkling with the start of tears. But he wouldn't let them drop. He wouldn't show that side of himself to me. "So when the time comes, and Carlisle asks me if I'm okay with Jenks' condition, I'm going to say yes. And it's not because I'm self-sacrificial or I have a career death wish, it's because I can't stand to look at my own father. Everytime I see him, I see her bleeding to death on my $34,000 oriental rug."

I leaned down and rested my chin on his rib cage, looking up to him with a strange mixture of curiosity and reverence. Even though he was a murderer, even though he'd shot a man at point blank range, I couldn't hate him - I coudn't even be scared of him. Somehow, the fact that he had done it in revenge for his cousin's life seemed - endearing? No, that's not the right way to describe it. It seemed less like murder and more like the right thing to do. Eye for an eye - King Solomon style. I honestly couldn't say I would have done any different. Who knows what would have happened had Edward _not _shot him? Maybe he would have turned on Edward next. "So, what happened after you shot the guy?"

"I called the police. They came, arrested me, held me for a few days until they could get their hands on the security tapes. They launched this huge investigation but discovered nothing. I'm good about covering my tracks." He looked down at me and smiled softly. "That's how I knew you didn't pull my background check. If you did, you would have already known all of this."

"Yeah . . . " I started. "About that . . ."

"What about it?"

I cringed and rolled my eyes. "My friend, Rosalie, was going to be the one to pull it for me. When I originally asked her, she said she knew somebody who worked for the Department of Defense."

"Would this be Rosalie Hale?" And just as suddenly as we had drifted into the depressing conversation to begin with, he smiled and pulled us right out of it.

"Uh huh," I answered with a small nod.

His grin grew wider as gave me a small chuckle. "How did her meeting with Emmett go today?"

"You knew about that?"

"Emmett's got his panties all in a twist because of this broad."

"Why hadn't they ever met before this? New York is not that far away from Baltimore, and I'm sure he comes up here all the time to see you."

"He didn't want her to know who he was," Edward softly explained.

"Why not?"

"Because of his last name, because of who he is, because of who she is. She's not in direct competition with us - but she does work for a subsidiary of your corporation. The decisions that you make directly affect her. He didn't want her to have to deal with that. But once the merger became more and more likely, he felt like their meeting was eminent if not necessary."

"He told her about the investigation. He told her to tell me that you had nothing but good intentions, that you really had honest feelings for me."

"That much is true. He doesn't know we're fucking. He'd flip if he did. But, he's seen some of my more g-rated portraits of you."

"Christ, Edward! How many do you have?"

"A few," he mused.

"How many is a few?"

"Twenty, maybe thirty."

"Can I see them?"

"Uh -" His face twisted into a playful chagrin, as if he knew I wanted him to say yes, but he really, _really _didn't want to. "No," he whispered slowly.

"Why not? They're of me, aren't they?"

"You'll be critical. I don't know if my ginormous -" He paused and cleared his throat, as if to insinuate a particular word instead of actually saying it. "- _ego -"_ he said instead. "-could handle it."

"Edward," I started in a completely serious tone. "You've just admitted to murder, extortion, espionage, treason and obsessive behavior, and you're afraid I'll be critical because of the drawings that you do?"

"Well, I suppose when you say it like that -" he started, and I looked up to him with a huge, pleading grin. "No."

"Fine, be that way, you big fucking tease." I sighed and rolled off him, nestling into my original spot at his side. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I found myself fighting the nagging urge to fall asleep. I was exhausted, emotionally and physically drained. It had been the longest day in the entire world, but to be honest, this was the first _real _conversation Edward and I had ever really had. There was not a single moment when I felt like he was lying to me or trying to get around a question somehow. And in this moment, regardless of everything he had just confessed to me, I'd never felt closer to him. We were _finally _on level playing field.

"Wait, did you say you had a video camera?" he randomly asked, seemingly out of nowhere.

I snickered quietly to myself as my mind finally drifted into subconsciousness. I felt Edward press his lips to my forehead and whisper, "I love you."

I felt my lips respond with a slurred, "I love you too," but that was the last thing I remember.

The next thing I knew, my alarm was blaring, which caused my eyes to snap open and immediately snap back shut. DAMN! It was fucking bright in my room, a subtle punishment for having kept the blinds open last night. After I got my bearings about me and remembered where I was and what I was doing, I started to think about last night. Had it really happened? Had Edward really confessed all of that to me? Did I really learn that he was a murderer?

A soft groan and a change in weight to my left brought everything crashing back to me. He had done those things. He had confessed his darkest secret. And he was still here.

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Please leave a review and be sure to check out my blog. URL on my Profile. Take care. **


	23. A Picture Worth A Thousand Lies

**A/N: The songs for this chappie are:**

**"Beautiful Lie" by 30 Seconds to Mars  
"Head Like A Hole" by Nine Inch Nails  
"My Skin" by Natalie Merchant**

**Enjoy!  
**

**_Chapter 23_**  
**_A Picture Worth A Thousand Lies._**

The flight to Orlando was bumpy and turbulent, somehow seeming to reflect the inner turmoil brewing in the pit of my stomach. There was a huge part of me that wanted to forgive Edward for everything that he had done. He'd kept things from me, he'd consistently weaseled around the truth and, to top it all off, he was a criminal, and his father was the one coercing him into it. His father, the man I was eventually going to work for, was responsible for, not only the death of his niece, but also the corruption of his own son, his very flesh and blood. How could he do such a thing?

And how could Edward be so easily pulled into such a lifestyle? Why would he think that was okay?

I still wasn't exactly sure how to feel about it. On one hand, I felt like I should just get over this whole thing and move on with my life. I was fine before Edward, and I'd certainly be fine after him. I knew, as well as anyone, that there were a million other "Edwards" in this world, I just had to find one, if indeed another "Edward" was really what I needed. Hell, William Dean was nipping at my heels, and regardless of his pretentious attitude, I was sure he'd be just as good in bed and would treat me just as fairly. This side of me feigned dealing with all the drama Edward had caused and simply wished to be rid of it. He brought more headache than he was worth half of the time.

But it was that other half of me that really stuck out in my mind, the half that knew Edward was loving and affectionate. It was this half that made me want to stick it out with him, made me want to forget ever even having that conversation with him in Baltimore.

I now knew just about everything there was to know about him, I hoped. Christ, what if there was more? What if I was only hitting the tip of the iceberg when it came to Edward, Carlisle and their exploits?

And what about Irina? I was still trying to wrap my mind around her story altogether. She was murdered, shot down in cold blood, because of her uncle's overwhelming obsession with power. Which, in turn, resulted in another murder as well. Surely, Edward wouldn't have just stood there while the murderer fled or worse, shot him. Of course, Edward would have retaliated, and, in that moment of anger and rage, he must have realized the exact person that needed to be brought down instead, his own his father, and that must have hurt him in more ways than I could possibly imagine.

So what was I to him, honestly?

A way to piss off daddy?

A force strong enough to reckon with Carlisle?

An unattainable object - untainted, pure, and distinctly opposite of everything he had unwillingly become?

Lost in thought, I anxiously bit at my bottom lip and picked at the cuticles around my nails. Jasper, who had recently joined our trip, got stuck with the middle seat between Alice and I. He cleared his throat and pushed my hands apart, giving me a gentle smile in response. "Your incessant clicking is starting to give me a headache. What's the matter with you?"

I sighed and apologized, turning to face in the window instead of explaining.

"Suit yourself," he muttered, crossing his arms over his chest and closing his eyes to fall back asleep.

I opened my mouth to spill my guts, but ultimately decided against it. I could only imagine what someone would do with this story if they overheard it. Jasper's input would be incredibly helpful, and perhaps I should consider talking to him about it some time, but I couldn't risk the prying ears on this plane. You never knew who was lurking in the shadows. Jenks and Scott had flown to Orlando yesterday, so I didn't have to worry about them, but I didn't want to chance it. So instead of breaking down on him, I rolled my eyes in disgrace and leaned into the plane wall, resolving to fall asleep for the time remaining.

Even if I decided to tell my friends about Edward's background, would they believe me? And would they ever let me see him again? Would they be the first ones to rat me out to Jenks and the press? I'd like to think not, but you never knew these days.

Rose, of all people, had no room to talk. There was this nagging splinter in the back of my mind that twitched whenever I thought of her. There wasn't a bone in my body that believed she was ignorant about all of this yesterday, and I hadn't seen her today to ask her about it. She knew Edward and Carlisle's past, at least enough to warn me about it, and yet she kept her lips sealed. Was this for Emmett's benefit? Or was it for mine? Was she trying to hide the fact that she, too, had fallen in love with a _Cullen_? Or was she so tired of giving me advice that she figured I would do what I wanted anyway and didn't see the point in telling me? In either case, all the little nuances of her conversation now fit into place - like the way she told me to "hear Edward out" and "what he has to say might surprise me."

Well, consider me surprised, you sneaky-DOD-fucking Judas. Whatever happened to chicks before dicks? Sisters before misters? Poons before Peens? Damn her!

"He won't ever choose you over his company, Bella," Jasper whispered softly. "He might say he's in love with you, he might even mean it, but when it comes to a man and his family, especially this man and this family, he won't ever be free of them," Jasper softly cooed.

"Jasper!" Alice hissed. "That stuff was secret."

"What?" he immediately snapped. "She deserves to know."

"Thank you, Jasper. I know you mean well, but I don't really feel comfortable -"

"Bella, I talk about teen pregnancy and SAT scores all day. This is much needed break, trust me. But I understand if -"

"No really, I appreciate your good intentions. But there's people from the conventions on here - people with ears and eyes and overactive mouths." I confessed, returning my attention to the window again. "It'll work out the way it's supposed to."

"But is it the way you want?"

I shrugged and ran my hands over my face in frustration. "Who the fuck knows what I want anymore? I don't even know what I want."

"Fair enough," he conceded, finally submitting to Alice's glare. She shook her head and laughed before returning to her "What to Expect When You're Expecting" book.

By the time we got to Florida and made our way through the massive airport, I was starting to feel a little relieved in the fact that Orlando was far, far away from the media frenzied cities of New York and Baltimore. Even if the press could easily drive between those two locations, it would take days for them to make it down here, and luckily, I'd be halfway to Texas by then. Just as I was relishing in that fact, we found ourselves making the final turn for the security checkpoint and there they were.

_Flash!  
Flash!  
Flash!_

_"There she is!"  
"Who's the blond?"  
"PA's Fiance!"  
"Ms. Swan! Over here!'  
"Ms. Swan! What do you say about the allegations ...?"  
"Ms. Swan! Who's the man this week?"  
"Isabella! A minute of your time, please!"_

It was more than I could bear. As soon as I saw them, my knees locked into place, my breathing hitched and a noise came out of me that sounded remarkably like a squeal. I was terrified to walk through this crowd. I was absolutely dreading it. Alice wrapped an arm around my shoulders as Jasper moved in front of us. "Holy Mother of Saint Augustine, Bella! You'd think you were shacking up with Brad Pitt or something."

"I fucking wish," I groaned, resisting the urge to run the other way as I forced one foot in front of the other. Jasper pushed people out of our path as the cameras went off all around me. I felt like I was at a rave, or a strobe-light extravaganza. Each flash of light made me feel sicker, and sicker, and then more dizzy and light-headed. It took us five minutes just to get through the crowd, and once we were outside, I couldn't fling myself into the limo fast enough. I didn't even throw my baggage in the trunk; I just had to get out of the chaos.

I took a few deep breaths and calmed down, glancing wildly at Alice and Jasper who hopped in behind me. "This is Florida! People are supposed to retire here. Where did all these hyenas come from?" I exclaimed.

Jasper laughed and glanced over his shoulder at the mass crowd getting smaller and smaller as we drove away. "You're the bee's knees, Bella. They're coming out of the woodwork to get a piece of you."

"At least they're coming out," Alice added. "The convention aid in Baltimore said they'd never had such a huge turn out, and you know that's true, Bella. People are really getting into all of this, because they're into you."

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. "They're into William Dean. They only pester me because they think I'm screwing him."

"Then why aren't they bothering him?" Alice retorted, glancing out the window to her left. I admit, she had me. Why _were _they following me and not him? She shook her head and laughed. "I don't know, Bella. I just think the American public would take a rich, hot, twenty-nine year old _female _technology executive over a rich, British, male investor. I mean, what if he set all of this up to ride on the coat tails of your fame and success?"

My eyes narrowed at her suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

"So, he introduces you to the public," Alice explained, "and they immediately love and adore you and find you a complete enigma - because he does, that's how he's presented you. Of course, they'd flock to you like little sheep. He's yesterday's news. William Dean may be the next Prince Charming over in England, but here, he's just another dog with that pink thing hanging out. He's slept his way through half of this country's rich and famous."

"How do you know that?"

"Don't you ever watch _E!_?"

"No, Alice. I work - and I fuck Edward Cullen - and that's about all I do with my life."

And Alice continued talking, but I completely ignored her. There was some sort of blinding truth to what I just said, some sort of stabbing twinge in my gut.

_I. Am. Completely. Pathetic._

Edward even hinted to it last night in Baltimore.

_"There's nothing to use against you. You've lead a clean, honest life. Good for you."_

At the time, I hadn't picked up on his condescending undertone, but now that I think about it, he was mocking me. Despite everything he was confessing to me, his darkest demons and all that shit, and despite everything he had done with his life, he had the nerve to mock me. Hell, I don't even know why someone like him would be interested in me to begin with. He was worse than most of the people cooped up in the American Prison system these days, and I, well, I had been a plain Jane since junior year of college.

Aside from rolling with some of the toughest assholes in the multi-billion dollar industry, I'd led a completely boring life. That's even why I'd practically jumped at the chance to spice it up, to let my enemy go down on me in an elevator and continue an affair with him for several weeks afterward. I needed that rush, that feel of something different, something exotic, and he was more than eager to fill that role for me.

I'd never done anything this outlandish, at least, not anything I could remember. (My sophomore year of college was mostly a haze and doesn't count.)

"BELLA!" Alice snapped.

I jumped and turned to face her. "What?"

"You weren't even listening, were you?" she asked with a look stretched across her face that suggested I had been tuned out for a longer time than I imagined.

"Apparently not."

"I said that you were playing with fire, instigating William Dean any further. He's bad news, at least that's what Chelsea Handler thinks, and I trust that crazy bitch," Alice joked. "She was on TV last night talking about this whole affair and how you just look terrified anytime the cameras come out to play, which is mostly the case. But she thinks you should be using this press to your advantage. Strike while the fire's hot, if you catch my drift."

Jasper laughed and wrapped his arm around Alice's shoulders. "Well, as long as _Chelsea Handler_ thinks so," he teased.

"Shut it, Jasper!" Alice giggled and nudged him in the ribs with her elbow. "That woman's hilarious!"

Jasper and Alice whispered to each other about the humidity in Florida and how they thought Orlando would be more reclusive than any of the other cities we had been to so far. But Jasper had hit the nail on the head earlier. People were _flocking _to me in droves and it would only get worse as the cities went on. No doubt the elite in Houston would find me even more interesting, and Las Vegas and Los Angeles were pretty much self explanatory. Twenty minutes later, we found ourselves sneaking in the back entrance of the Hilton hotel. The limo driver didn't want to risk hitting a camera man, and I didn't want to dive through another crowd. We checked in, got the cards to our suites and headed for the elevator.

Once I'd said goodnight to Alice and Jasper and found myself sitting in the living room of my suite, I grew restless and uneasy. My knees wouldn't stop bouncing, my hands were sweaty and tense. There was so much going on, too much for me to think about all at once, too much for me to handle. Almost unable to withstand it anymore, I reached into my purse and grabbed my Blackberry, instantly hitting the power on button.

It took a few seconds to load but once it did, I almost couldn't get to his number fast enough.

It rang and rang, but ultimately, like I knew he would, he answered.

_"This had better be good," _Jake blurted. I could hear the pounding bass of dance music under his voice.

"Jake, it's only nine thirty. Shut up," I instantly responded.

"Do you know where I am right now?"

"Oh gee, thousands of possibilities. Let me start guessing. Getting your wank sucked by some virgin twink in the back of Fuego?" I teased.

"You're very close."

"What happened to Paul?"

"We have an - open arrangement."

"Ahh - I see. So where are you really?"

"I'm about to get my wank sucked by a very experienced urologist at this orgy in this unbelievable mansion."

"What are you doing in a mansion? And where are there any mansions in Manhattan, ones that you would be invited to anyway?"

"I'm not in Manhattan anymore, Toto," Jake grunted.

"Do you know where I am right now?"

"Thousand of possibilities. Let me guess. You're sitting in your room, somewhere in the continental United States, fretting about the pretty boy? What'd he do now?"

"Jake, what if I told you he had been researching me for almost a year with the intentions of taking me down one day?"

"It just gets better and better doesn't it? Last week, you were freaking about some stupid drawing, and the week before that it was because he spanked you with a paddle. You're wearing yourself thin, pretty lady."

"I just don't know what to do anymore, Jake. There's so many things, things I can't even begin to explain to you."

"So don't explain, Bella. Look, I'm about to get my dick sucked and you're on the verge of a meltdown. My fragile brain can't handle both right now. Call me tomorrow. Love you. Hugs and Kisses." And then he hung up.

I really couldn't blame him. It was a sin to cockblock your friends, but even more of a sin to allow yourself to be cockblocked, which is why Jake took the initiative to cut me off before I got on a rant. I sighed and ran my fingers over my hair, pondering the depths of my own self-fuckery, when it hit me. As much as I hated it, as much as I was unsure about it -_ I needed to call Edward._

I couldn't resist it any longer. I hadn't talked to him since this morning when I rushed him out of my room merely an hour before we had to stand in front of hundreds of people and pretend to hate each other. We hadn't even mentioned anything he revealed to me the night before, and he hadn't tried to contact me either. No missed messages, no new voicemails. What the fuck had happened after he left my room and before he showed up downstairs this morning?

My finger yearned to press call when the screen rolled over "The Spy" in my contact list, but something inside just wouldn't let me do it.

My mind was reeling and right in the middle of it all, my phone started buzzing in my palm.

"The Spy."

Edward was calling _me._

_Well, shit!_

Fuck, fuck, fuck!

Now, what was I supposed to do?

I stared blankly at the screen, praying for the courage to hit answer.

What exactly was I supposed to say to him?

I hadn't the slightest idea. My heart fluttered, my palms grew sweaty, and the call rolled right to voicemail before I even reacted. Shaking my head, I placed my phone on the coffee table and sauntered into my bedroom, collapsing into my bed and burying my head under the pillow as swiftly as I could. I didn't even bother with my shoes or dress clothes, I simply wanted the day to be over.

I erased everything from my mind and found myself asleep before I knew it.

What seemed like two minutes later, there was this blaring ring resonating through my ears. It was almost deafening.

Perking my head from under the covers, I glanced at the clock next to the bed.

7:45 am.  
_  
Shit!_

I was late. Very, very late.

Fumbling for the receiver, I brought the phone to my ear. "Hello?"

"Where the fuck are you, Isabella Marie?" It was Alice - and she was pissed.

"I'm sorry, I know I'm late. I'm coming," I sputtered, that nervous jolt of "oh fuck" springing me off the bed.

"I'm at the door, come let me in," she groaned, her tone seeming lightened by the fact that I was indeed in my room.

I hung up the phone and ran to the door, swinging it open in a frenzy. She shoved a coffee in my hands and sauntered into my bedroom. "Were you up all night fucking?"

"No, I'm just tired. I accidentally left my phone on the coffee table and forgot to the set the alarm." I picked up my Blackberry and scrolled through the missed alerts. Five from Alice, only two from Edward.

I immediately deleted the ones from Alice and skipped to the best part.

_"Call me."_

And

_"I just wanted to say goodnight."_

Figures. Nothing poetic or meaningful. Straight to the point, the gut of the matter. That was Edward.

I followed Alice into my bedroom but was immediately ambushed by clothes and toiletries. "Give me that." She snatched the phone out of my hands. "Get in the shower, Bella. You've got fifteen minutes."

I nodded and followed her commands, resolving to worry about him later. Right now, I had to get my shit together.

And, amazingly, fifteen minutes later, I was sliding my feet into the first pair of black heels I came across and my hair was pulled back into a bun with two chopsticks. I strolled into the living room as Alice gave me a wink and smiled. "You're getting better at that."

"I know." I smiled at her, grabbed my clutch purse and headed out the door.

We were in the lobby by 8:03.

_Damn, I'm good._

Jenks and Scott were already waiting for us. We greeted them with gentle smiles and firm handshakes before realizing that, yet again, we would have to sneak out the back way and into the limo. But some of the press had caught on this time. Four or five cameras greeted us there as well. I pushed my way past them and hopped into the backseat, instantly disgraced by the lack of privacy I now seemed to have.

"You're quite the object of everyone's attention these days," Jenks commented, absolutely delighted by the new spotlight on him as well.

"They're only interested in my personal life," I retorted. "Once they realize there's no personal life to speak of, they'll leave me alone."

"I'm not sure that's what we want to happen. The public loves you, Bella," Jenks spat back. "In any case, once we announce the merger, things will only get worse. Are you going to be prepared for that?"

"I suppose I don't have much of a choice, eh? I just keep telling myself that any press is good press."

"Well, don't do that. Good press is good press. You just need to maintain their love. Don't do anything reckless or foolish where they can see you," Jenks added.

"Something will also have to be done about William Dean," Scott replied.

"What do you mean?" Alice asked, apparently just as confused as I was about his comment.

"We need to silence him. Nip this rumor in the bud. Perhaps if you had someone else to show up with, the press wouldn't believe you were lying about William Dean."

"A powerful woman is perfectly allowed to be single. I don't _have _to be with anyone. And who I'm screwing or not screwing is none of their business."

"Which is why they're so fascinated with who you _are _seeing. Swan, you need to redirect this attention away from him, give them something new and shiny to play with," Scott snapped in return.

"Ms. Brandon, you have a brother about her age, don't you?" Jenks asked, staring blankly out the window to his right.

Alice involuntarily started laughing. "Yes, but he's - well, Bella's not exactly his type."

"Doesn't matter. What does he do for a living?"

"He owns Oasis Salon and Spa," I responded. "And he's not the right person to ask either. Look, I don't need to be seeing anyone. Perhaps the question as to who I'm dating is part of the mystery and intrigue. Let's just leave it rest for the time being? Let the chips fall where they may?"

"I just wish you hadn't proposed to Ms. Tanner already. This matter would be settled," Jenks hissed at Scott.

And I almost threw up in my mouth. There'd be no way I'd ever even pretend to be in a relationship with that ghastly beast.

"Admit it. If I was a man, this would be no big deal," I insisted. "The only reason they care is because I'm female AND I'm single. That's unreasonable to them."

"Be that as it may, best take advantage of it while it's available," Jenks stated.

I shook my head and stared out the window.

_If only they knew that __William Dean__ was the distraction. If they only knew the truth of the matter. If they only knew who I was really seeing._

I literally shook when I imagined the look on their faces after hearing the news.

"So, enough of my personal affairs, when are we announcing the merger?"

"After the conventions; once we return to New York. Legally, we have to consult the board. But their endorsement is not necessarily needed. I may sell my shares to whomever I wish, and since the management -" He gestured towards me. "- is not going to change, there's no reason anything else should as well."

"And what of the people on Carlisle's board? Who stays and who goes?"

"Well, that's not really my concern, is it, Swan? That's something you'll need to figure out once you get the ball rolling," Jenks snapped.

I glared at him. Of course it was my problem. This whole merger would benefit him, and him alone, and I would be left cleaning up the mess behind it's wake. And what if the board decided I was on the list of people to be cut? Then I would have done all of this work for nothing.

I squared my jaw and said nothing more until we reached the convention center. We made our way through the crowd and eventually found Jessica and Aro directing the set up for this cities "Robotic" display. We were nowhere near Honda and had yet to replicate the technology to create ASIMO, but we had some very powerful computers and software to promote. After deciding everything was running effectively, Jenks and Scott took off to find some breakfast.

By the time I made my way to the press room at ten, I had yet to set to see Edward or anyone to do with Cullen Inc. Alice had met up with Jasper and decided to grab some food as well, so I was alone when I walked down the long hallway connecting the conventions to the PA room. I was lost in thought, curiously wondering where Edward had gone and why he wanted to talk to me so badly last night.

It all happened every quick. A door opened to my right and then there were arms around me, pulling me into the dark. I went to scream, but a hand was instantly thrown over my mouth.

"Don't struggle. It's not that kind of abduction," a familiar voice cooed. Edward slammed the door shut and pressed my back to it, clicking on the lights. We were in a janitor's closet.

I smacked him on the chest, across the face, anywhere I could get at him - and then I smacked him again. "You scared the living fucking shit out of me!" I shouted. "Have you completely lost your fucking mind?"

"Calm down," he insisted.

"What if someone saw that?"

"No one saw. I need to talk to you."

"About what?"

His face tensed. "Someone knows about us."

My heart sank into the pit of my stomach. "What do you mean?" I muttered, almost unable to get the words out.

"These were waiting for me in my hotel room this morning." Edward handed me pictures of him and I laying in bed together, kissing and fucking. It was the hotel room in Baltimore. Someone had gotten us with a telescopic lens from across the street.

_Fuck! _

I'd left the blinds open all night. _Of course_ someone got us.

_Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!_

"Someone's investigating us - someone we both know, someone unsuspicious," Edward explained.

"Who?"

"I don't know yet." Edward took a deep breath and pressed me harder to the door. "I'd be willing to bet that Eleazar's in on it. He's probably the one who took these pictures."

"Do you think it's Dean?"

"Might be."

"What's the story with you two, anyway? Old bromance gone awry?"

Edward smiled and shook his head. "Something like that."

"Well, is it that? Tell me."

"I will, alright? Just not here. It's not the right place. We're going to be late anyway. I just wanted you to know before you walked on that stage. Eleazar's here, and he's going to take a stab at us. Be on your best behavior," Edward explained.

I pursed my lips and gave him an acid smile. "I always am. You think you can keep your hands to yourself this time?"

"I have to admit, it will be incredibly difficult," Edward teased, winking the tiniest bit. "But I'll manage." He pulled me closer to him, seeming to search for a kiss or some form of closer contact. Our eyes met, he was merely centimeters from my face and I thought for sure that he would lean in to press our lips together any second. Instead, he pulled the door open and turned me around to face it. "Knock 'em dead, killer." With a swift pat on the ass, he pushed me into the hall and snatched the photos from my hands before closing the door in my face.

In his haste to get me out of his hidey-hole, he'd accidentally dropped a photo on the ground in front of me. I leaned down, picked it up and sighed.

_"Christ! Look at us," _I initially thought. In the picture, I was straddling his waist with my head resting on his chest. The picture must have been right around the time he'd confessed everything. There was this light in his face, this radiance that he rarely showed to anyone else, save me alone. But the look on my face was even more priceless and more astounding than anything I'd ever seen. I was looking at him like he meant everything to me, like no one else would ever come as close to my heart as he had.

And here was the the proof I needed. I was in love with _Edward, _and I was starting to think that my being without him was an impossibility. Surely, I could live without him, but I don't think I'd ever be able to be with anyone else. Of course, there were a thousand other Edward's out there - but none of those people had sought me out, found me by mere chance and pursued me. Did that somehow make this Edward more desirable in my eyes? That he was a man who went after what he wanted, consequences be damned?

Regardless, we looked so completely smitten with one another that I suddenly found myself cheesing like a fifth grader on photo day, a smile wider than the Grand Canyon smeared across my face. Something just seemed to click into place inside of me, a new confidence filling my bones.

_I loved him - and consequences be damned._

I came back to reality and folded the picture in half, tucking it into the most secure spot on my body - my bra.

Surely no one would go searching for it in there, and I'd certainly feel it in the event it fell out.

I sauntered into the press room and took my spot on stage, Edward only a few minutes behind me. His face, once jovial and playful in the stock room, now twisted into stone. That's the business face I'd come to know and adore.

After Martin Robinson, the Master of Ceremonies for Orlando, gave his introductions, he started the presentation video. This time, they had focused more on Cullen Inc. and the company's automotive networking database. Sure, it was already presented in Boston, but that didn't mean it wasn't a great advancement in robotic technology as well. Essentially, Cullen Inc. had found a way to turn the average car into a robot, and so it fit.

The presentation briefly touched on the new processor Dyco Tech had formulated, but they must not have found it too impressive because it was merely mentioned.

The lights came back on and I suddenly felt as though I was sitting in front of a room full of jurors, all silently deliberating what sort of woman I was and what crime I'd committed. They glared at me, and believe me, it was me who held their fascination, regardless of all the other people on this stage.

"Ms. Chin, I believe you pulled first question," Martin Robinson started, gesturing toward an Asian woman in the front row.

She smiled, stood and addressed Edward first. "Mr. Cullen, I understand you've stated that this grid would be almost impossible to build and maintain, but when, if ever, do you plan on pursuing it's marketing capabilities to generate the revenue needed?"

Edward cleared his throat and leaned forward, crossing his hands in front of him as he answered. "We've discussed the possibility of beginning such a project this time next year. But that's the extent of it. We simply lack the funds for such an endeavor."

_Now. _But after the merger, such a thing wouldn't be as impossible. It might even be the first thing we announce after the hybrid company is formulated.

_What I wouldn't give to have been the first to develop that technology._

In any case, Ms. Chin smiled and turned her attention to me. "And, Ms. Swan, does Dyco Tech have any plans to develop a technology similar to this?"

I choked a laugh and leaned forward into the microphone. "Not at this time, Ms. Chin. We'll let Cullen Inc. have this one, but only this one."

The room chuckled, somehow breaking the tension that seemed to pour off both Edward and I. Ms. Chin nodded her head and sat, scribbling away in her notebook.

"Mr. Michael, I believe you were next," Martin Robinson announced.

I squirmed in my seat. I almost couldn't help it. I knew what was coming for me, and I prayed, no I begged, for him not to mention anything. I knew our being outed was coming, and had been for a while. But now that the moment was here, I just couldn't bear it. I was dreading anything that poured off those evil lips of his.

The snake stepped forward and smiled deviously, looking back and forth between Edward and I before starting. "Ms. Swan, you were recently photographed heading to an undisclosed location in the Boston Marriott Hotel with Mr. William Dean, were you not?"

"Oh come on, Eleazar. Did you not get your fill of harassment the last time you brought this up? I'll not answer any questions about Dean and myself."

"And why is that?"

"Because I do not get paid to discuss my personal life with the likes of you."

"It's not because your hiding your affair from the public?"

"There is no such affair to speak of, that is why I won't talk about it. There's simply nothing to mention."

He nodded and hummed a quiet noise of disapproval. "And what of you and Mr. Cullen?"

And here it was, the moment of truth. Even though I had anticipated it, it still felt like a slug to the gut. My palms grew sweaty, my back straightened and a crooked-nervous smile stretched across my face.

I couldn't believe that he'd chosen _here - HERE - _of all places, to disclose this information. In front of hundreds of prying eyes, this bastard demon decided to blow my cover and any slander against me would only erupt into a full blown front page story. I had to be quick on the draw if I wanted to appear innocent of these allegations. I imagined myself a lion, flinging my giant torso across the room to rip the throat out of this wicked creature.

I laughed, forcibly of course, but I had to do something. "Excuse me?"

"You and Mr. Cullen. There's some talk of late night encounters among the rift raft here at the conventions. What say you to that?"

"Well, I'm sure Mrs. Cullen would have more to say about that situation than I would. I hear Carlisle spends the majority of his nights at home with his wife. Perhaps you should ask her about their late night encounters," I explained.

"I'm not talking about Carlisle," Eleazar immediately spat back.

The whole room did one collective gasp.

"Mr. Michael, if you have nothing relevant to ask, I'll be moving on -" Martin Robinson started, attempting to get the media hounds in the audience back on subject.

But I cut him off. "Quite the imagination you have, Mr. Michael. You hear this, Mr. Cullen? Now, I'm dating _you_, of all people. Were you aware of this?"

"Not in the slightest," Edward answered. "Not that I would refuse such an affair. Someone like me would consider himself privileged to be associated with the likes of you, Ms. Swan. But rest assured, Mr. Michael, if something like that were going on, I don't believe I could keep it such a secret."

Eleazar's face twisted into mock surprise followed by an evil laugh. "We'll see about that."

"Alright, enough of this," Martin Robinson cut in. "Mr. Michael, please take your seat. Ms. Johnson, I believe you were next."

And the questions went on and on, each one more challenging and invigorating than the last, but nothing more about Cullen, Dean or myself was mentioned. Perhaps the room had had it's fill of my personal life, or perhaps everyone else simply had more decency than that. Whatever the case, Eleazar refused to take his eyes off me for the rest of the Question and Answer session. He was waiting for any screw up, any mishap, that would confirm his suspicions.

He _had _to be the one who took those pictures. He _had _to know the truth, and yet, he danced around it.

Perhaps he was the lion, and Cullen and I were the innocent gazelles, eating grass in the distance, completely unaware of the predators attack. He was playing with us, batting us around until we weakened to a point of exhaustion.

And I was on the verge of just that. In fact, I had half a mind to just stand up and shout to the heavens, "YES! Edward and I are fucking! Does anyone have a problem with that?"

But my pride had more restraint than that. Edward and I would be found out soon enough, there was no need to throw myself to the wolves.

After all was said and done, I rose from my seat and walked off stage, finding Alice by the stock room Edward had pulled me into earlier.

"Well, that was fun," Alice gripped, turning around to follow me back into the convention room.

"Yeah, tell me about it," I hissed, walking much faster than I probably should have been. "We need to find a way to silence that prick."

"Money?" Alice asked.

"I doubt it. He's not the type to be bought. We need to find some dirt on him."

"Or find who's putting him up to it," Alice suggested.

I pulled Alice into a corner and looked around, making sure we were alone. "Look at this." I pulled the picture out of my shirt and handed it to her. "Someone's on to me."

She gasped at first, her hand instinctively flying to her chest in exasperation. And then she smiled, giving me a goofy little laugh. "Aww, look at you! You look so happy."

I snatched the photo out of her hand and shoved it back into my cleavage. "That's not the point. This will be on the front page of every tabloid in America by Monday morning if I don't figure out who's got my number."

"Do you think it's Mrs. Jenks?"

"No, the old bat has her own share of demons. She wouldn't expose mine."

"Dean?" Alice asked.

"Probably. I need to speak with him, regrettably alone."

Alice nodded and gave me a tiny smile. "Well, here's your chance." She gestured over my shoulder at someone behind me.

William Dean. Headed my way. 12 o'clock.

"Good luck. You look stunning. No worries." She gave me a pat on the shoulder and headed toward the room designated for the luncheon.

"Ms. Swan," came the British voice behind me.

I turned and gave him a sexy little smile in response. "Mr. Dean. How goes your morning?"

"Ugh," he grunted with a roll of his eyes. "Money, money, money. It's great to have, but impossible to manage. How about you, eh?" We started walking toward the luncheon room, slowly pacing ourselves to have enough time to talk privately.

"Well," I sighed. "I'd give just about anything to have the press off my back, but other than that, swimmingly."

"Yes, well, the press can be rather invasive. They're leeches, really. Surviving off the livelihood of others."

"Leeches, yes. Are they hounding you just as vehemently as they are me?"

"On occasion," he confirmed, taking a drink of the golden cocktail in his hand.

"I've been thinking about your offer, Will," I started.

His eyes lit into surprise. "Which one was that?"

"Skydiving," I responded immediately.

And his face dropped the slightest. He must have thought I was referring to the several offers he had made to be my lover, and those I simply could not accept. But if I wanted Dean alone long enough to figure out whether he knew about my affair, I had to do something rash. Not only that, but what I thought on the limo ride here really stuck with me. I hadn't done anything exciting in a long time, aside from this sorted affair with my enemy, which could in fact only be exciting because it was the first adrenaline filled thing I'd done in years.

Skydiving seemed like the fix for both problems.

"And what of it?" he answered.

"Let's go. Tomorrow. Do you know someone in Orlando who could accommodate such a venture?"

He started laughing. "Surely you jest, Ms. Swan."

"I suppose you're right. You probably know someone who knows someone in every corner of this country, huh?"

He laughed and gave me a small nod. "And what of the photographers who will follow us to such an outing?"

"Let them. What are they going to do? Make up a rumor about us dating?" My tone reeked of sarcasm.

And he was quick to pick up on it. "Tomorrow then," he replied with a smile. I hadn't realized it, but we were already at my table where Alice, Rosalie and Jenks were waiting for me to sit. William Dean pulled my chair out for me, I sat, and he gave me a wink before shuffling off to his entourage across the room. I greeted everyone and commented on how humid it was in Florida before they returned to the conversation they were having before I arrived.

"What happens tomorrow?" Alice whispered quietly to me

"I'm taking a leap of faith, so to speak," I answered.

"So, Swan, where are we on the figures so far for these conventions?" Jenks asked before Alice could reply.

"Right in line with the estimates. In fact, we may even out do ourselves in Houston. I have a feeling that our new energy saving technology will be a hit with the oil drillers in Texas," I explained.

Jenks nodded and turned to Scott, commenting on why I was the perfect woman for the job.

The luncheon went on around me, but I was already checked out. I couldn't stop thinking about who would have taken those pictures of us, who would have known, who could have picked up on it. I thought we were being so careful. I thought we were safe.

My stomach churned and suddenly, I wasn't even hungry anymore. I was nervous, too nervous to think straight. I looked around the room to try and pinpoint the traitor. Who would rat me out? Who would side with Eleazar? Who would want to bring me down that badly?

Martin Robinson went on about the companies in attendance and eventually our lunches were served, but I couldn't focus. I just couldn't shake the overwhelming dread that coursed through my bones.

"Did you hear the latest scandal, Pap?" Scott asked, breaking me out of my stupor.

"What scandal is that?" Jenks responded, wiping the corners of his mouth with a napkin.

"Isabella and Edward, over there," Scott answered. "It's blasphemy, I tell you. The media is just getting more and more desperate for a rise out of her. She handled it well though."

"Well, thank you, Scott," I immediately said, almost afraid for him to say anything else. Something was different about him. He was acting too sincere. That had to have been the nicest thing he'd ever said to me, and it should have been my first clue that something was amiss with the snob. But I shrugged it off to a change in character and smiled.

"There's nothing going on with you two, is there?" Jenks retorted, raising an eyebrow my direction.

"Oh please," Rosalie spoke up. "Edward Cullen? Surely she could do better than that."

And that might have redeemed her in my book. She shot me a wink and scooped some more salad into her mouth. At least I wasn't the one who had to lie. At least Rose was smart enough to recognize that. The public could handle dishonesty at the beginning of a relationship, but hell would freeze over before I'd be able to lie to Jenks. When we were found out, when we ultimately did get caught, having lied to Jenks would be the thing he'd be most upset over. The scandal, the sex, the affair, well, that was just human nature, wasn't it? Sex is compulsory sometimes. But lying to your boss is _never _okay.

Jenks smiled and continued his lunch, seeming appeased with Rose's response.

As soon as everyone was done eating, I stood and headed for the entrance of the convention center. Jenks, Scott, Alice and Jasper hopped into the limo, and I climbed in right behind them. Things were silent the entire way back to the hotel.

Of course, the paparazzi were waiting for me, and of course I had to fight my way through them to get inside. Alice was like my bodyguard, pushing and pulling reporters out of my way. She almost decked someone who had flashed a camera two inches from my face. I almost thought I was going to smash right into it, it was so close. The questions swirled, but I ignored them. The camera's went off all around me, but I hid from them. I could see now why some celebrities went ape shit on these people and threatened to beat them with an umbrella, for example. Or punch them square in the face. I was on the verge of doing that myself.

I said goodbye to the others at the elevator and, by the time I'd gotten into my suite, I still had four hours until I needed to get ready for the banquet. One thing kept playing over and over in my mind, louder than any other voice. It chanted, _"Relax. Relax. Relax." _It was hot as hell in Florida, I was beyond stressed out, and I might nearly die tomorrow when I go skydiving with Will. I found myself staring at a bottle of water in my refrigerator, and I knew exactly what I needed to do. I was headed to the pool, no if, ands or buts about it. Maybe there, I'd find some peace of mind. I grabbed my towel, threw on some flip flops and headed to the roof. I'd never been one for swimming, but there was nothing like sweating out your worries under the sun.

Now, I just needed to find a way to put my mind at ease. My thoughts instantly went to a sunny place, on a secluded beach, sitting under the sun and listening to the waves as they crashed on the sandy shore. The light breeze kissed my skin, causing goose-pimples to rise across every inch of me. And what fantasy would be complete without a beautiful man next to me. Gerald Butler, perhaps. And so, I admired his chiseled body in my mind, starting at those hips and the outline of his pelvis leading south to treasures unknown. (Snicker.) My gaze shifted north to his perfect abs and broad chest. But when I reached his face, I was almost relieved to see that I hadn't been admiring Gerald Butler at all. I had been admiring -

"This seat taken?" came a familiar voice from the giant shadow.

I squinted my eyes open and held my hand a few inches in front of them to see who it was.

"Why, if it isn't Mr. Manhattan himself? What are you doing here, Jim?"

"Ah, you know, a little of this, a little of that," he explained with a laugh, taking the lounger next to me.

"What brings you to Orlando? Business or pleasure?" I asked.

"Why can't it be both?" he teased, flashing a handsome smile my direction.

I giggled and shrugged in response. "I suppose that works."

"How goes running a company and all that nonsense?"

"I'm managing. How goes being a millionaire and all that nonsense?" I retorted.

"It's exactly as awesome as it sounds."

I sighed in mock shame. "I would have never thought this is where you would end up."

"Oh really?" he retorted. "And where did you picture me in the future ten years ago?"

I chuckled in response, immediately spitting out the honest truth. "Cracked out in somebodies basement with that huge fricking beard and a bong in one hand, a Jack Daniels bottle in the other. But alas, here you are. Beautiful, powerful, lethal."

He laughed and gave a simple hum of indifference. "But, alas. Here I am." He sat up and reached into his bag, pulling out a bag of Planters peanuts. He scooped a few into his hand and threw one into the air, catching it in his mouth.

"You've cleaned up your act, I commend you," I teased.

"So - uh." Again, he threw a peanut into the air and caught it with his tongue. "- How are you and Will? Did he cut off your antlers and nail them to his mantle yet?"

"Hah!" I snorted. "He wishes."

"Indeed he does," James agreed, shoving more peanuts into his mouth. "Just about every man in that convention room wishes. You realize this, correct?"

"Yeah, well . . . You ain't so bad yourself. But thank you for the compliment."

There was an awkward pause between us, as if there was something on the verge of his tongue. He stared at me for a second before opening his mouth to speak again. "Okay, let's cut the bullshit. I saw you come up here. I need to tell you something."

"Aw, and here I was, thinking we were really going play catch up. Evidently you haven't forgotten about that one night at _Merlotte's _on the road trip down to New Orleans," I joked.

"I told you, Bella. Whiskey Dick happens to everyone."

"So I've heard." I eyed him from head to toe before sitting up and leaning into him playfully. "Well, go on then, what did you want to tell me?"

"I was sitting at the bar this morning and overheard something hilarious. Do you want to hear it?"

I shrugged. "It depends. Does it involve sex and debauchery?"

James looked at me, slowly uttering his next few words. "Bucket loads."

"Out with it, then."

James smiled and put his bag of peanuts down, looking around us for anyone close enough to hear. When he'd decided we were secluded enough, he leaned in closer to me and continued. "So, I was at a bar this morning, minding my own business, when I see that guy that's been pestering you - Eleazar Michael, is it? He was at a booth across the way, talking all suspiciously with this other familiar guy - this guy I knew I remembered from somewhere - I just could place where. Anyways, Eleazar leans in real close to this guy and hands him a package and what looks like a room key," James started. I tried my best to remain calm, but I was literally freaking out inside. What had James really overheard? What was he about to tell me? "Then, this guy, he thanks Eleazar for his outstanding work. Before I know it, the weird familiar guy is getting up and walking away with this obnoxious cane that had the most diamonds I'd ever seen on it. And that's when it hit me - where I remembered him from."

As much as I tried to hide it, I knew recognition was written all over my face.

"I take it you know the guy?" James asked.

I nodded. "What are you trying to tell me?"

"This Eleazar guy is hot on your ass and bringing up your personal life in front of hundreds of reporters. I see him talking to the grandson of the owner of your company and you don't see anything suspicious about that?" James squinted and raised an eyebrow at me.

"Possibly. I just don't understand what that has to do with -"

"Scott's making a play to bring you down. That package, what could possibly have been in it? I don't know, Bella - let's think about this for a second - Hmm - probably pictures - being that it came from a paparazzi." His tone was rife with sarcasm, as if I was an idiot for nothing thinking of it immediately. "Pictures of you probably doing something you shouldn't have been doing," James instigated further.

"I haven't done anything -" I tried again.

"What were you doing, Bella?"

"Nothing, Jim," I hissed.

"Who were you with? Come on. Tell me."

"You know as well as I do, that I wouldn't touch Dean with a ten foot pole. I'm not screwing anyone, and that's the point. Maybe that's why I'm on the verge of a fucking meltdown, because I haven't gotten laid in such a long time." I tried to crack the tension with a joke, maybe then he would believe me.

"Well, I could help you with that."

I knew him too well to think he was being serious. I quirked an eyebrow and shot a suspicious look his way. "Hm, maybe if I was a red head, I would actually think that was a real offer."

He laughed and rolled his head back over his shoulders. "Don't lie to me, Bells. I've known you for a very, very long time. Something's different. You're - well -" There was something more he wanted to say, but for some reason, possibly the awkward history between us, he stopped himself and sighed. "Well, you're you, aren't you?"

"You knew me _then_, James" I started. "I'm not that girl anymore."

"Oh come on," James replied, tucking his bag of peanuts back into his bag. "I'm sure that crazy, wild girl is still buried somewhere deep down in there." He smiled and gave me a small wink.

"You'd be surprised," I immediately hissed.

"I hear you're going sky diving tomorrow." He didn't miss a beat.

"Publicity stunt."

"The rat will be all over you, you realize this?"

"Of course I do. That's sort of the point."

"Is what he said this morning true? Are you sleeping with Cullen?" And here, James had hit the heart of the matter, simply punching me right in the gut.

"That's nobody's business."

"Aye, there's the rub, isn't it?" James nodded his head and crossed his arms across his chest. "Were you with him recently? Is that what the pictures were?"

"I don't need to explain myself to you. Or anyone else for that matter."

He flashed me a crooked, devilish smile and nodded in agreement, seeming to drop the argument altogether. "Touche."

After a few seconds of awkward silence, I tilted my head towards him and spoke again. "I'm glad I saw you here. I need to ask you something."

James smiled and cocked his head to the side. "What's that, my dear?"

"What's the history between the two of them? Do you know?"

"The two of whom?" James honestly seemed perplexed for a second.

"The Cullens and William Dean. Why - Why does Dean hate them so much?"

"Hmm -" he mused. "I'll tell you if you tell me."

"I take that to mean you do know something then."

"Of course I do, _cherie._ But what is this information worth to you? That's the real question."

"You can't just tell me because we go back so far?"

"Now what kind of business man would I be if I agreed to that? Especially when there's more I want out of you," James teased.

"What do you want, James?"

"Tell me the real story. What do you think is on those pictures, Bella?"

"Okay, I'll tell you. I - well - I -" I tilted my head to the side and shifted my eyes to the ground between my feet. In this moment, I debated telling him the truth, and with that, came the debacle of whether I really trusted James. Sure, we have been really good friends in college. We'd even almost attempted drunk sex one night. But I couldn't stop giggling and he couldn't get it up. Like he said, Whiskey Dick happens to everyone. We laughed about it the next day. We were buds, but we knew a relationship would never happen between the two of us. Since graduation, I'd been working at Dyco Tech and he'd gone to become what he became. Could I trust James the boy I knew in school? Surely. Could I trust this man sitting in front me? Maybe. Maybe not.

He was practically Dean's right hand man.

In the end, he spoke before I was able to decide. "They _are _pictures of you and Cullen, aren't they?" James exclaimed in a hushed voice, trying not to sound too excited. My gaze immediately shifted back to his very surprised face just as his jaw almost hit the pavement.

"I didn't say that. Look, what I'm about to tell you is confidential and if I find out someone else knows about it, I'll know it's source, you got me?"

James snorted a simple laugh.

"Our companies are merging. He came over one night to discuss paperwork - Nothing. Else. Happened. They might have snapped something along those lines. I'm not worried about it. But _you _can't tell anyone about this!" I couldn't express how imperative it was that he keep his big mouth shut. "Especially not Will."

I lied, obviously, but it was the best I could do.

He eyed me from head to toe, seeming to analyze every flaw. He was trying to decide whether he trusted me or not. "How long has this been going on?" he eventually asked, seeming to buy it. "When will you merge?"

"Oh no. That's not what you said you wanted to know. It's your turn to ante up. Tell me what happened between the two of them. What do you know?" I had to change the subject, he couldn't ask anymore about it.

And like the puppy I knew in college, he easily submitted to my insistence. "They used to be best friends, worked together over in Europe. And then Edward's cousin, Irina, disappeared and something happened between them. I think Will blames Edward for some reason," James explained. "I don't know what happened to her, just that she was there one day and then, I never saw her again. Neither of them talk about it."

"How do you know this?"

"I was there when it happened. I've known the both of them a very, very long time, trumped only by the amount of time I've known you. The way the both of them reacted to it was strange really. From what I could tell, I don't think her family approved of Will's relationship with her."

"Relationship? Will and Irina were - lovers?"

"For a long time. Secretly at first as to not draw attention, and when they finally came out with it, Carlisle was displeased, to say the least."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "Beats the hell out of me. Do me a favor?"

"I'll try."

"Figure out what Scott is up to. He may be out to destroy you, which seems like the logical thing, and it's what I would be doing if I were in his shoes," James continued.

"And he means to expose a simple meeting? A meeting his grandfather set up?" I lied again. I had to keep up this facade. Surely James would never trust me after he learned the truth, but I just wasn't ready to tell him yet.

"It seems ridiculous, I know," James teased. "If that was what was really going on in those pictures. I know you're not being one hundred percent honest with me, and that's okay. We'll just wait and see, won't we?"

"I suppose we will."

"Listen, I'll keep your secret for as long as I can. But eventually, people are going to start asking questions, and I won't be able to hold them off for very long. I, too, am a terrible liar, Bells. You know that."

I sighed and shook my head. "You _are _a far cry from the kid I knew back at Cornell."

He grabbed his things and stood to leave. "Likewise," he answered with a smile before wandering off.

I silently wondered whether I should have openly admitted to such a thing, to James of all people. But, this would come out eventually, and perhaps I could have a chance to speak to William Dean about it tomorrow before James was able to. No doubt he'd pull his money out of our company, and then where would I be? But Jenks had chosen this path, certainly he had thought it through completely. And William Dean didn't really have a choice. If he wanted a piece of our ginormous pie, he would have to stick by us, merger be damned.

A few minutes after James left, I headed downstairs myself. I caught the elevator and headed for my suite once I was on my floor. I opened the door, took two steps in and noticed Scott Jenks sitting on the couch in my living room. I jumped and dropped my towel, my face twisting into a mixture of shock and confusion.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I roared, slamming the door shut behind me.

"How long have you been screwing him?" Scott whispered nervously.

"What?"

"Edward Cullen," he hissed as he turned in my direction. I can not describe how angry he looked - as if I was his girlfriend and he had just caught me cheating on him with a much better suitor. His jawline hardened and his nostrils flared, he stared holes right through me.

"Scott, I don't know what you're talking about." I was having a horrible day for telling the truth. I seemed to be lying to everyone.

"A maid from the Hilton in Baltimore says she saw him going into your hotel suite two nights ago. Says he paid her four hundred dollars for her key. Why was he going in there, Swan?"

"I don't know, perhaps you should ask him."

"You're having an affair, aren't you? - with him!" Scott rose and stalked towards me, shoving a picture into my face, a picture of me wrapping my arms around the CEO of our competition. "What the hell are you thinking?" His voice radiated through me.

Even though I already knew, the question, "Where did you get that?" immediately spurted off my lips.

"Don't worry about it," he snapped in response. "What the fuck was going through that stupid little brain of yours?" He was on the verge of screaming at this point.

"Scott, you need to calm down," I pleaded. "This isn't as bad as it seems -"

"This will devastate us!" He spoke slowly and distinctly, really trying to drive home the point. "You will ruin everything! Once my grandfather hears of this -"

"Are you going to tell him?"

"I -" Scott took a few steps back and ran his hands furiously through his hair. "I haven't decided yet."

I was sort of shocked for a minute, not really sure why Scott _wouldn't _tell his grandfather. He had every reason to, both legally and personally. If I was in his shoes and I had been carrying around a grudge for the past two years, I'm not sure there'd be any lengths I wouldn't go through to alleviate that grudge forever. "Why not?" I asked after a long pause between us.

"This just might kill him. He hides it well, but he's about one french fry shy of a heart attack. My grandmother has been pushing him to sell the company for years now. He _finally _decides to do it and what do you know? Little miss perfect CEO is fucking the buyer," Scott's tone was getting angrier and more forceful. He took a few steps closer to me and I countered with a step back.

"I'll end things with him, Scott," I started, my voice starting to grow into a growl. Personally, I was quite offended by this little outburst and insult. Who the hell did he think he was? But I decided it was best not to instigate him any further. The man definitely outweighed me by at least 50 pounds and I knew he could break any bone in my body within seconds if I got him agitated enough. And then where would I be? "I will, if that's what you want. I'll find some way to break it off. I don't know what you're thinking, but this _can not _go public, Scott."

"I can't agree more."

"So you'll keep quiet then?"

His face twisted into a devious grin as he looked back up to meet my gaze. "You need to do something for me."

My stomach hit the floor. "What on God's green Earth could you want from me?"

"Your resignation. You recommend me as your replacement."

I snorted a laugh through my nose. "You're serious?"

"You've compromised everything my grandfather spent years building, Isabella. You're not fit to run this company any longer."

"And you're so sure that you are? A man with no experience, no knowledge of what he's doing whatsoever?"

"You do it, or_ this_ makes Sunday's front page," he threatened, holding up the picture of Edward and I.

I snatched it out of his hands. "You do realize what will happen if you expose me. You'll drag Dyco Tech, your grandfather, your own name through the shitter. Think about this," I snarled, hardly able to get the words out I was so angry.

"Did you think of that when you were fucking him?"

I was speechless. I couldn't believe I was getting blackmailed this way. I couldn't believe that this is the way we would be exposed. It somehow seemed unfair, unreasonable, not the way I would have imagined it going down. But, alas, _here I was. _And it made me even more pissed than I could possibly have imagined. I'd been trying to keep my cool this whole time, but once I'd realized his true intentions, my rage level literally hit the roof. "Fuck you, Scott, you arrogant prick. Why are you doing this to me?"

"You're fucking _Edward Cullen_, Isabella! Of all people! This is one of the stupidest things you have ever done."

"Hundreds of powerful, successful men in my position _fuck _whomever they want everyday, and no one, _no one_, ever says anything to them about it. A woman does it and, all of a sudden, it's a big goddamned deal!"

"It's a big goddamned deal because you're fucking the enemy! Could you really be that dumb?"

"If I were a man, you wouldn't even be here right now. You wouldn't give two shits about who I was fucking!"

"This has nothing to do with the tits on your chest. This has to do with who you let between your legs," he turned from me and whispered something like "Filthy whore" under his breath.

"Oh really? Well, that's good to know. I was afraid this was about you being a sad, pathetic man who has nothing better to do than pout and whine about a job that you lost years ago. Why don't you go cry to pappie about it?" This was the worst thing I could have possibly said to him. He raised his fist behind his head and I was certain it would fall on my face any second. I almost cowered in fear - _almost. "_Oh, go on. Do it. Give me a reason to have you thrown in jail."

He took a deep breath and his hand came back down to his side again. "Don't test me, Swan."

"You're pathetic, Scott. Give me those damn pictures." I reached around to snatch the rest of them from his hands, but he turned away from me just in time. My swipe was pointless. "You're not going to do anything with them. You don't have the balls. Give them to me."

"Don't have the balls? Watch me, Swan. Watch me give Eleazar the go ahead to have this picture posted on the front page of every newspaper in America by tomorrow morning," he hissed. His eyes were wide with anger, his body almost shaking with rage.

"Why are you like this, Scott? What? Was being a spoiled little brat your whole life really too much to handle? Or does having everything handed to you just automatically turn you into a dick?" I spat, more out of pent up aggression than anything else. "Or does your problem lie a little more -" I eyed his crotch. "- south?"

It was enough to tip him over the edge. He didn't hold back then. His fist landed hard against my cheek, sending a jolt of pure pain through every bone in my body. I knew it was going to leave a mark that would take me at least a half an hour to cover up with makeup, that's if he hadn't broke my cheek bone, which is what it felt like happened in that exact moment. And it wasn't over. As soon as I straightened from the shot to my face, his fingers wrapped around my throat and pushed me against the door, lifting me up so that only the tips of my toes touched the floor.

I'd honestly never been in this situation before, but I _had _taken a single self defense class with Rosalie not too long ago. I hadn't remembered any of it the day afterward, but now that my life was in jeopardy, it all came rushing back to me. The very first thing was _"Don't Panic. Remain Calm." _I tried my best to do that even though my airway was clamped shut and my vision was beginning to darken. The next thing that came back was _"S.I.N.G."_

Being that he was holding me an inch in the air, his solarplexes and his instep were out of reach. But that left the best parts of the anagram for me to follow. I gripped at his thumbs around my neck with my hands, trying like hell to get air into my lungs. With one quick movement, I shoved my knee into his groin with all the force I could muster, a distinctive crunch rattling through my calf and thigh. He groaned in agonizing pain and stumbled back, falling to his knees and dropping me to the ground in the process. With one more swift kick, I connected my heel with his nose and he threw himself backwards, laying on his back as he moaned with sheer suffering.

I sat there, stunned and gasping for air to fill my lungs. I coughed and wheezed and shook myself back to reality. I couldn't decide whether I was more pissed or upset at having been attacked. My hands immediately reached for my throat to assess the damage. No doubt I'd be bruised there as well. I should have gotten up and grabbed the pictures from him. I should have gotten up and kicked him repeatedly in the gut. I should have called the police or done any number of things. But I couldn't move. I was frozen, stuck on the ground to stare holes through him instead.

"You beat your fiance with those hands?" I managed to croak, spitting what tasted like blood out onto the tiling. Sure enough, Scott had busted my tongue open with his hit.

He forced a laugh and stood, wiping the blood from his nose all over his clothes. "You suck Cullen's cock with that mouth?"

"I'll have you murdered for this," I murmured as he passed me for the door.

"Good luck." He bent over and picked the picture I had dropped mid-choking session. "You have until Saturday. Sunday morning, this makes the front page."

As he was rising, I grabbed his shirt by the collar and pulled his bloodied face closer to mine. "The thing is, Scott. I don't think you have the balls for your threat. I have the balls for mine. Count on that."

He twisted my wrists until I let him go before laughing and walking through my door. He left me there, alone and beaten and extorted and not a damn thing to do about it.

As much as I tried to bury them deep inside of me, the tears bubbled over anyway. I couldn't help it. I was a powerful, successful woman and I could talk shit with the best of them. But, physically, I'd never be as strong as a man. And my face just throbbed, almost as bad as my esophagus. It was like I was bruised on the inside and the out, my windpipe just as painful as the skin that protected it. I sobbed and sobbed all by myself on the tile of the kitchenette in my suite.

In the end, Scott had been right about one thing. I brought this on myself. It was me who had dragged my own company through shit, and, as a matter of fact, I _was _thinking about that when I was doing it. It's the only thing I've been able to think about for almost two months now.

Did I deserve a beating because of that?

Abso-fucking-lutely not. I would make good on my threat.

I would have him murdered - desecrated - crucified in the streets - Ancient Roman style.

So I pulled myself together and walked to the bathroom to assess the damage. I turned on the light and, _Jesus! Christ!, _that man had fucked me up. I sighed, shook my head in anger and began stitching myself back together again. It wasn't too serious, nothing an ice pack and some Advil couldn't fix. My left eye was already starting to swell and blacken, and the red marks on my neck would result in nothing more than two or three finger-pad sized bruises on either side. But my lip was the thing most damaged. When his hand made contact with my face, I had bitten down my lip pretty hard.

_That Fucker!_

And then a thought hit me - and in retrospect, this would be remembered as the key moment in my life. It was like someone hit me over the head with it. It couldn't have become more clear to me.  
_  
I needed to out myself._

If I did that, Scott would have no ammunition to use against me and the press would leave me alone, or at least stop nagging me about Dean.

But what to do about Jenks? What would he do if he knew? Surely, he would fire me or force me to resign or something along those lines. But then, I could name my own replacement before I left, if indeed it came to that. Or, and this was a big or, the public would love it and it would thrust Dyco Tech, Cullen Inc, Jenks and yours truly right into the lime light. Everybody loved the Romeo and Juliet _story_, but no one liked the ending. Everyone wanted them to run away and get married and have a million babies. So what would Lord Capulet have done if that had really happened? Suppose Romeo and Juliet had made their affair public at the beginning, paraded it openly through the streets. What would Lord Capulet have done then? And what would he have done if the people of Verona wanted the young lovers to be together, and wanted them to have their happily ever after? Surely, he couldn't have made her marry Paris then, could he? Surely, she wouldn't have been forced to fake her own death and the whole mess would have been absolved.

Before I did anything rash, I needed to be sure that Scott's threats had any merit. He might just be testing me.

Would his grandfather even accept Scott as the CEO? Would he allow it?

He _had _picked me originally.

No, if I suggested Scott for the job in the event of my resignation, Jenks would whole-heartedly agree. At least it would stay within his family.

It was time for the banquet before I knew it. Time had seemed to engulf me in thought. What would I say to him tonight when I got down there? How would I approach Edward, given this new information? What could I do?  
_  
Oh! Shit!_

_Edward._

I looked at myself in the mirror again, and there was no way I was hiding this from him. Quite honestly, I could put enough make up on to hide it from the convention. Only someone close to me, someone who knew my face well enough to draw it from memory, would recognize the minor swelling under my eye, the puffiness of my lips, the minor discoloration around my neck.

And what would he do when he saw this? How would I keep him from retaliating? How would Edward be able to keep himself from killing the bastard?

So, still in my bikini, I dialed Rose's number and plumped down on the toilet. Of course, Alice was the first thing on my mind - but who knew what she'd do to Scott if she saw me like this. Who do you think I learned how to be a fire cracker from?

And she was pregnant. I couldn't risk getting her this upset. She still wasn't out of her first trimester, and that's a real bad time for miscarriages. I couldn't live with myself if I'd brought that on Alice.

Rose answered after the second ring. _"What can I do for you now, my darling?"_

"Can you -" It hurt to talk. My lip was swelling faster than I had anticipated. "Can you come to my room for a minute or two?"  
_  
"Why? What's up? Are you okay? You sound kind of funny."_

"I need your help. Room 1103. Bring lots of makeup," I sort of gargled.

_"Okay. I'm coming." _And then she hung up.

Exactly two minutes later, she was knocking on my door. I winced my way through my living room and opened it for her, giving her any smile I could muster.

Her jaw immediately dropped. "Holy shit, Bella! Who the fuck did that?"

I nodded behind me. "Come in."

She stared at me as she walked in and crossed her arms over her chest. "Name, Address and Social Security number - right now!" she demanded.

I nodded and tried to give her a laugh. "It's, well, it's complicated."

"Bella, that's not complicated. That's abuse. Was it Cullen? I swear to God, I'll nail his balls to my office door," she shouted.

"No, no, no. Calm down. I need you to help me cover this up."

"What? Why? Call the police. We need to hang the mother fucker. Who was it?"

"Rose, I'll tell you when you calm down. You're not going after him," I explained. "Did you bring the make up?"

She nodded and took a few breaths. "Bella, what happened?" she asked in a much more relaxed tone.

"Scott found out about Edward and I. He's trying to blackmail me into resigning. When I -" Well, I'd gotten smart. I'd turned on the adolescent word vomit and irrationally called him a few immature names. "- refused, he got pretty angry. Don't worry, he's got a broken nose."

By the amount of blood staining the kitchenette tile, I'd definitely broken that ugly thing.

"Why didn't you call the police? Turn his ass in, Bella."

I shook my head. "And he'll have Eleazar run the article as soon as I leave the police department. No, I need to beat him at his own game. I don't know what I'll do, but I'll come up with something."

"Okay," Rose sighed, taking all of that in. "Okay," she whispered again. "I'm not going to get upset about this. I'm going to clean up this mess, and get you ready for tonight, and I'm definitely not going to slug that fucker in the face the next time I see him." It was more like she was talking herself into this rather than me. And so we went to work.

By the time Alice arrived to escort me downstairs, Rose and I had managed to get all of the blood off the floor. And as for me, well, aside from the minor puffiness around my eye and cheekbone, you couldn't even tell I'd been hit. It still hurt like hell, that's for damn sure, but unless you got real close or saw me on a daily basis, you would think I was just having an allergy attack or something of the like.

But, of course, Alice picked up on something the minute she saw Rose there with her make up kit. The very first thing I explained was why I didn't call her, which she understood automatically. I was sure she was going to go apeshit, but she accepted it graciously. And then I explained what had happened with Scott and why one side of my face looked all fucked up. That's when she lost it. She started screaming and threw her purse on the ground, threatening to run right up to him and punch him harder than he'd ever been punched in his life. Luckily Jasper and I were able to talk her down from that.

Once everyone was ready to go, we headed downstairs toward the banquet hall and made our way over to the table where Jenks, Mrs. Jenks and Royce were already seated. I greeted everyone appropriately and immediately noticed Scott's absence. As I sat, I glanced over to Jenks. "Where's your grandson tonight?"

"He was mugged," Mrs. Jenks answered with a twinge of astonishment in her voice. "Just outside the hotel. Can you believe such madness?"

"Mugged, huh?" I muttered.

"Broke his nose and stole his wallet. My dear Scott didn't even see the guy," she continued.

Jenks nodded and took a drink of his scotch. "We've called the police, but Scott couldn't even give a good description of the person. It was no use. I guess we'll have to wait to see if they try to use Scott's credit cards or ID somewhere."

"Well, I send my condolences. May he swiftly return to good health," I gave Jenks a half-hearted smile.

Things went on around me and I participated as best as I could, but I was lost in thought, secretly plotting my revenge on the slimy bastard. To top it all off, the media was still hounding me and I'd promised Will that I'd go sky diving with him tomorrow. (I was hoping for rain.) It wasn't long before I was taking my spot on stage for my presentation. The spotlight blinded me and I winced a little while making my opening introductions. But after I'd gotten into it, the words rolled painfully off the tip of my tongue. I tried not to let my anxiety soak through, but I'm sorry to say it did anyway. This was absolutely the worst I'd ever done, but the audience was receptive nonetheless. I honestly couldn't remember a time when I had been more stressed out.

As I made my way back to my table, I couldn't help but shoot a passing glance at Edward's table. Carlisle and Tanya were talking amongst themselves, giggling and smiling at how shitty I'd done, no doubt. But Edward was standing and staring directly back at me, his face twisted in confusion. He knew something was different, he knew something was amiss, and it showed all over his face. He was concerned about me and even tempted to break our public facade by coming over to me to ask personally. It was like I could almost read his mind. But I gave him a small shake of my head and looked back to Rose and Alice by my table. They were standing and clapping and giving me the most support friends could give. I must not have done as bad as I thought because even Jenks was clapping and congratulating me.

Edward took the stage next and did his thing, completely winning over the crowd. He was charming, witty, and held the appeal for this particular city. I'm sure his actual product helped.

It was towards the end of the presentations that I made my way to the bar and ordered a Vodka Cranberry. Might as well start drinking. It had been one hell of a day. I'd been hounded by Eleazar Michaels, damn near found out by James Handon and physically beaten by Scott Jenks. What in the hell was my life coming to? Why was sleeping with Edward Cullen such a big fucking deal?

"Pst -" came a voice from the darkness behind me.

I turned to see Edward peeping his head through the access door next to the bar. "What?" I whispered.

"Come here."

I debated this for a second and slowly took a few steps back, casually ducking out into the hall with him. No one was near me, aside from the bartender, and no one would notice me gone. We were completely alone, not a soul in sight. He grabbed my hand and pulled me into a tiny storage room two doors down.

"Let me see you," he whispered, clicking on the lights. After a few seconds of careful deliberation, Edward winced and shook his head. "Who did this to you?" It came out in almost a growl.

I tried like hell to hide my anxiety. But if there was anyone, _anyone,_ else in this world that deserved to share my burden, it was him. We were in this together. And I had to remember that. I sighed and shook my head, collapsing into him as I wrapped my arms around his chest in a death grip. "Scott knows about us. He's the one who has the pictures. He's trying to blackmail me," I whispered breathlessly.

"He did this to you?"

I shrugged and looked away from him. "He wants me to resign, name him as my replacement. When I refused -" I almost couldn't even regale the story, it hurt so much. Each time I remembered it, each time I relived it, my face seemed to throb more intensely.

"He decided to beat you?"

"Something like that," I answered.

Edward was silent, a sense of pain and anguish filling his face.

"What? What are you thinking?" I immediately asked. I was terrified of him taking it upon himself to return to favor, and that would certainly blow our cover. His eyes met mine in such a way that meant only one thing. That's exactly what he was thinking. "Edward, you can't."

His jaw hardened in defiance.

"Listen to me," I continued. "You can't! That's why I didn't call the cops. He'll have us exposed the minute we try to do anything about it. We have to beat him at his own game. We have to -" I was pleading with him at this point, practically down on my hands and knees to beg. "We have to expose ourselves."

"No - no we don't." Edward sighed and ran his hands over my hair, lightly pecking my forehead with his lips. "What's his full name? I'll find something on him, something to counter his bribe."

"Scott Jason Jenks," I replied. "But there's nothing, and if there was, I would already know about it."

"What? You think Jenks came to power by rightful and legal means?" Edward snorted a laugh. "Everybody cheats, Bella. I'm sure there's something in his history, something we could use to discredit him."

"So, let's say we do that, we find something about him. Then what? We threaten him with it, and what if he doesn't care? We'll still be on the front page of every news paper," I explained. "Edward, we have to do it ourselves. This is the stupidest thing I've ever done that has any proof that it ever happened. If I just come out with it, then he's got nothing to use against us."

"And what if Jenks fires you for this? Then where will you be?"

"If he's going to fire me, then he's going to whether Scott spills the beans or I knock them out of the ballpark. At least I'll have the opportunity to name my own replacement. But, Edward, what if everyone adores us? What if the public immerses themselves in our story? Jenks couldn't risk a public blow that intense. He'd have to keep me on."

Edward sighed and shook his head, giving me a small smile in response. "We _could _kill Scott, if it came to that," Edward murmured.

I laughed and wrapped my arms tighter around him. "After he'd hit me and I'd kicked him in the nose, I promised him that I'd have him murdered. It was an empty threat, I realize. But I'd meant it at the time."

"That would certainly fix our problems, huh? It would make me feel a million times better," Edward confessed.

I sighed. "Calm down, we're not going to kill him. Not yet, anyway."

We stood together for a few moments, just breathing and relishing our closeness. But then came time for me to leave. I couldn't risk being away from my table any longer than a typically bathroom break, lest Jenks realize my secret too soon. I leaned my face up toward him and gave him a small kiss on the neck. "I should be getting back."

"Wait," he pressed his lips to my temple with a small peck. "At midnight, take the stairs all the way down to the emergency exit at the bottom floor and meet me outside. I want to take you somewhere."

"You know that's impossible," I quietly retorted. "Eleazar is practically stalking me, Edward. Not to mention the thousands of people who could see us, take more pictures, send them to the newspapers. It's not smart."

"It'll be okay, I promise." Edward whispered. "And don't worry about Scott and Eleazar. We'll figure it out tonight. Tell me you'll be there."

"I'll try."

He gave me a kiss on my good cheek and pulled the door open behind me. I scooted back to the banquet right before the ending of the last presentation. I made my way over to my table and sat, apparently not gone long enough to raise suspicions. Not even Alice questioned where I had been.

The banquet went on, and by the time it was over, I was already upstairs changing into more comfortable clothes. I opted for a cute navy blue sundress, a white sweater and a pair of hemp flip flops with a shell on either side. I threw on big sunglasses and wrapped a scarf over my head, even though tying it under my chin was rather uncomfortable. Incognito might not have been really necessary, but I didn't feel like taking the risk.

Like he told me, I made my way down the stairs and out the emergency exit, ironically not sounding the alarm. Midnight on the dot, Edward pulled up to the door in a white convertible Audi R8 with chrome wheels and a loud ass exhaust system.

I gasped and walked around the car, my jaw practically dragging behind me. "Where did you -"

"No time for questions, love. Get in."

I did as he asked and hopped into the passenger seat as the car rumbled out of the back entrance to the hotel. Once I was sure no one saw us and no one had pulled out of the hotel behind us, I turned around to face Edward and smiled. We were free, finally! Totally and utterly free. And so we drove into the night.

**A/N: Thanks for reading, and please be sure to check out my blog, link on my profile. **

**In other things Spy related, here is a pic of the Audi R8 convertible. http : / z (dot) about 9(dot) com / d / cars / 1 / 0 / K / z / 1 / 11_a8_cabrio (dot) jpg**

**I'd like to thank jedigirl for the awesome publicity that she does for me, my betas for their awesome work, and FL95 for pimping my story out in "Dick For Hire."**

**If you haven't check out "The Dick," please do so here: http: / www (dot) fanfiction (dot) net/ s / 5418026 / 1 / Edward_Cullen_Dick_for_Hire**

**Dickward is fucking HAAAWWTTTT...**

**Anyway, that is all for now. Please leave some love. :-)  
**


	24. How It Ends

**A/N: Here's the next chapter. It's a little shorter than the chapters have been lately, but that's because we're getting close to the end now. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it. The songs that inspired this chapter were:**

**"Weapon" by Matthew Goode  
"How It Ends" by DeVotchka  
**_**  
Chapter 24  
How It Ends**_

We drove for what seemed like hours, mostly on the highway, but occasionally through dark neighborhoods and thick, swampy areas. I brought my knees to my chest and leaned back in the plush, leather seat, rolling my head to face Edward.

"Where are you taking me?" I whispered, giving him as much of a smile I could muster. My face was still throbbing from Scott's slug to the face and the cut inside my mouth painfully rubbed against my teeth anytime I spoke.

He gave me a crooked smile and pointed to a sign on the side of the road. It was dark and Edward was definitely not paying attention to the speed limit; merely a suggestion in his opinion, rather than an actual law. I barely caught the word "Mineral -" before we passed it. I looked back to him and squinted in confusion.

"You're going to enjoy it, trust me," he assured me. "How's your face holding up?"

"It hurts like hell," I said candidly. "But I'm managing."

He nodded and pulled into a secluded driveway off the main road. We drove a few windy blocks and parked outside a dark log cabin looking place with a cute little porch out front surrounded by a healthy, lush garden full of wildflowers.

"Mineral Springs - You'll feel better," read the sign out front.

"Mineral Springs, huh?" I murmured as I climbed out of the Audi. "This place looks closed."

Edward got out of the car and circled around to the bottom of the porch. "I know a guy who knows a guy," he explained. "Come on." He grabbed my hand and pulled me around to the side of the building. Just as I was about to comment on the ginormous lock securing the back area from trespassers, he stooped down and flipped over a gnome in the garden next to us. Lo' and behold, he had retrieved the key to said ginormous lock and let us in.

"Edward, this is illegal. Obviously," I started, pointing to the huge 'No Trespassing After Hours' sign on the wire mesh gating. "- we're not supposed to be here."

"Oh, where's your sense of adventure?" he mused. "Didn't you read the sign? You'll feel better - come on." Rather than waiting for an answer, he simply grabbed my hand and pulled me in, shutting the gate behind us. We set out over this huge hill, but it was what was on the other side that took my breath away.

At least twenty or thirty lawn chairs surrounded a huge lake on the top of this little mountain in the middle of nowhere. A million Christmas lights decorated each and every tree surrounding the pool of water, and I couldn't help but wonder if it was always like this, or if Edward had arranged it be set up this way. As much as I was surprised and elated with my present from him, I suddenly realized that I had no desire to get into the water. The wind was brisk tonight and, with my face in so much pain, I didn't want to add chills and wet hair to the equation.

"Edward, I'm not really in the mood for swimming," I whined. I should have shut up and enjoyed my gift, but the grump inside wouldn't allow such pleasures with so much drama in my life at the moment. I felt like I should be finding some dirt on Scott or bribing Eleazar to not run the article or something like that. Swimming in a mountain top lake with Edward seemed like a waste of time.

"Go feel the water," he insisted, pulling his tee shirt over his head.

I almost couldn't tear my eyes away from him. My gaze trailed over his naked chest down to his little line of hair at the base of his belly button, leading to treasures further south. Biting my bottom lip, I suddenly imagined flinging myself at him and demanding to be taken on the spot. Sex with Edward was _never _a waste of time.

Instead, I looked back to the water and sighed.

"Trust me," he whispered, having moved closer to me. He danced his fingers over my shoulders and slid my white jacket down my arms. "You do trust me now, don't you?"

Without really thinking about it, I nodded in response and walked to the water, slipping off one of my sandals so that I could dip my toes in the slightest bit. I had expected typical Florida lake water - cold, sludgy, and green. But this water was the exact opposite. It was incredibly warm and, as I stepped into it further, I realized I could see all the way down to my toes. Crystal clear.

"Whoa," I involuntarily whispered. The next thing I knew, a completely naked Edward patted me on the butt and walked past me, submerging himself in the water.

I only caught a glimpse of his cute white ass before it disappeared into the darkness.

Well, well, well. What exactly was I waiting for again? Oh right, the whole cold breeze and wet hair thing.

_Fuck it._

I took a step back and pulled my sundress over my head, laying it gracefully on a lawn chair next to Edwards clothes. I slipped out of my panties and undid my bra, casually running my hands through my hair.

"You know," Edward started from the middle of the lake. "Ponce de Leon set out from Spain in the late 1400s to find what he called 'The Fountain of Youth.' He looked up and down the east coast of Florida and eventually made it halfway up the west coast before giving up and turning around for Cuba. He never found it. Historians believe this is the spot he was looking for. They think that the Native Americans found this place and knew, even hundreds of years ago, that there was something special about it."

"Oh yeah?" I answered with a smirk. "And what's so special about it?"

"There's some kind of preserving nature about this water, something to do with the mineral content. They once pulled an 11,000 year old skeleton out of the bottom of this lake. His bones still contained marrow and they found brain matter in his skull."

Upon hearing this, I almost ran for the shore. "Uh, come again?"

"There's practically no oxygen at the bottom. Sure, there's enough oxygen in the first few feet, but once you get to the very, very bottom, no sign of life whatsoever. You could put practically anything down there and pull it out thousands of years later still in tact," he explained, drifting a little closer to me. I was waist deep in the water now, moving in his direction as he moved in mine.

"You know an awful lot about this place," I said with a smirk.

"Like I said, I know a guy who knows a guy." He gave a little chuckle and pulled my hips closer to him, fully submerging me in the water. I pressed my pelvis to his and wrapped my legs around his waist, bringing our faces merely inches from each other.

"The Fountain of Youth, huh?" I asked. "What does that mean, exactly? That anyone who swims in here will live forever?"

"That's what they say," he answered candidly.

"In that case," I teased, pushing away from him and threatening to make my way to the shore to climb out.

"Oh what? You don't want to live forever with me?" Edward joked.

"Perhaps I want to live forever - but with you?" I twisted my lips into mock disgust. "I don't know about that."

His fingers clamped onto the ticklish spot at my sides and I squirmed, pushing back into him with a little more force. I laughed and giggled and then instantly regretted doing so. A jolt of pure pain shot through the entire left side of my body, starting with my face and working its way down my neck, shoulder and rib cage. And then I winced and gasped from the surprise of it.

"You should get your face wet. Let the minerals handle Scott's mess," Edward suggested.

I nodded and leaned back, keeping my legs wrapped around his waist. I ducked my head underwater and let the warm sparkling Fountain of Youth do it's magic. At first, I felt nothing and so I came back up for air, rolling my eyes at the crazy superstition.

"That wasn't long enough. Do it again," Edward groaned.

I huffed and puffed, but sure enough, I leaned back and went under again. After a few seconds, I felt a warm, slick sensation ghost over my right nipple. It perked and hardened in response, replacing the pain in my body with a shot of ecstatic pleasure that coursed straight to my clit. I pulled myself up again, taking a big breath of air as I shot Edward an incredulous look.

He licked his lips and wiped a dribble of water away from his chin. "Did it work? Do you feel better?"

"A little," I teased, giving him a tiny smile.

"Maybe you need to try it again," he whispered.

I nodded and leaned back a third time, running my hands through my hair as it waved around under the water. That same warmer sensation trickled across the other nipple this time, mixing smooth silk with the rough bite of teeth and causing that flesh to hardened as well.

I laughed and came back to the surface, running my hands over my face.

"What about now?" he asked with a crooked grin smeared across his face.

"Much, much better." I giggled, wrapping my arms around his neck as I leaned down to press my lips to his softly. "Are you sure there's no fish in here?"

"Positive," he murmured.

"Must be a snake then."

He chuckled and pressed his lips to mine again. "What do you mean?" He was playing coy, and I knew it.

"Something has taken a liking to nibbling on my nipples when I go under the water," I explained.

"You know," he explained with a laugh. "I've heard of these kinds of snakes, though I've never had the pleasure of encountering one myself."

I felt Edward's cock twitch between my legs, growing just a tad harder with our playful banter. "I could arrange that, if you'd be interested." I reached between us and grabbed his dick, sliding my fingers along it's length as I squeezed the head a little tighter.

He started to say something along the lines of "I might be -" but I didn't listen to the rest. I dipped my head under water and latched on to his nipple, licking and nibbling as softly as he had done to me.

He squirmed and pushed me away, his body recoiling and shaking violently.

"What's wrong?" I asked when I resurfaced.

"Nothing," he muttered, trying to remain cool and calm. But I could tell he was lying, I could something else was amiss.

I squinted my eyes and wrapped my arms around his neck to bring him closer. "Nothing? You just freaked out - what's the matter?" I asked again as I brought my finger to the same nipple I'd nibbled on. Again, he flinched and pulled away, a small smile gracing his lips. "What are you ticklish?"

He didn't answer, just looked out over the mountain and sighed. "You see those lights over there?"

But I completely ignored him. "You _are _ticklish, aren't you?" I managed to sputter in between a few laughs. "On - on your nipples!"

"Alright, I think you've had too much time in the water. It's making you giddy," he retorted, again ignoring my question.

"Fuck that, I feel great! And I just discovered the Achilles heel of Edward Cullen. I couldn't be happier."

He sighed and ran his hands over his hair. "I'd thought you'd found that the night we met," he murmured.

I didn't respond. I instead decided to dip my head under the water again and nibble at the other nipple. I managed to twist my lips around it before he again pushed my shoulders away. "Stop it," I heard him bellow from the surface.

With the air I had left, I swam a little more south and licked his dick from base to tip, relishing in the twitch to life my tongue was able to induce from his cock. When I came back to the top, he smirked and wrapped his hand behind my head, slowly bringing my lips to his. "We need to talk," he whispered once he had my undivided attention again.

"Uh oh," I teased. "Is this where you follow Scott's footsteps and make my heart look like my face?"

"That's actually what I want to talk about." He sighed and pulled me a little closer to him as I wrapped my legs around his waist.

"Please don't say we're going to kill him because I don't think that's the - " I started.

Edward's eyebrows perked in response. "Did I say anything about that?"

"The man beat my face in after blackmailing me. He deserves it, but I just don't think it's what we should do. We've gotta' be smart about this."

"Bella, has it occurred to you that, perhaps, killing him _is _the smartest thing to do?" Edward started, shooting me a cautious look. "I mean, look at you. I could literally ring his neck." Then, he paused and sighed. "But in this particular case, I have to agree with you. This needs to be incredibly well executed. We can walk out of this looking stellar or looking like assholes. We want the first option, and instigating Scott any further is only going to make him talk louder and faster."

"So, we come out in Vegas," I instantly blurted. It was the first thing that popped into my mind. I wasn't sure what anyone had planned for my birthday, but I'd certainly want to be out with Edward - and that meant allowing the beans to be spilled.

"Vegas - You're sure?"

I nodded. "I want you there. I want you with me. And that means being out - with all eyes on us. We have to do it then."

"So how exactly did you want to do this? I mean, should we hold a press conference? Should we tell Jenks and Carlisle first? Should we -"

But I cut him off. "Let them find out in their own ways. I have a feeling Scott will tell Jenks anyway, no matter what he told me he'd do. All things considered, he's got a broken nose vendetta against me."

The stress he was feeling about this situation made these cute little creases appear above his forehead, and all I wanted to do at that moment was angle my hips a little differently and slip his dick inside of me. So I pressed my lips to his and smiled. "We'll talk about it later," I whispered. I reached between us and palmed his cock, leaning in to press a gentle kiss against his soft lips.

"We probably shouldn't - in the lake -" he started to murmur. But his words fell short and a simple moan fell from his lips instead. I pumped my fist around his cock as his fingers found my clit and started circling. Sure, my face was pounding, but Edward's slick skin against mine felt so invigorating, I just had to have him. Or maybe that was the ten thousand minerals or whatever the fuck. In any case, I positioned him at my entrance and pushed down, taking him fully.

Our foreheads pressed together as my hands instantly wrapped around the back of his neck. Suddenly, I found my back pressed against some rocks that I hadn't even known were there. It was obviously a man made wall intended to keep people from going into the deepest part of the lake.

Edward thrust into me, groaning and palming my breasts between us. He pressed his lips softly to mine, sparking a much needed urgency inside of me. I absolutely adored making love to this man, for surely that's what we were doing in this completely romantic lake. I wondered if this had been Edward's original intention for tonight before the incident with Scott. Whatever the case, I was loving it - every part of it. The way Edward's fingers drew down my body mixed with the warm water surrounding them and set every nerve in body on fire.

Edward was sweet with me, tender and soothing, rather than feral - which he had shown me up until this point. Every movement, every kiss, every thrust was absolutely planned and synchronized.

The boy thinks fast.

He pecked the skin at the base of my neck and ghosted up towards my jawline. The moonlight reflected off his wet skin, making it glow and radiate with intensity. He looked like a painting, like a regular Da Vinci hanging at the Louvre.

"You're beautiful," I whimpered.

"Not quite as beautiful as you," he whispered in response.

I couldn't help the snicker that formed at the base of my throat. "My face is smashed in right now. I can't possibly be -"

"And yet that smile still pulls to the left more than the right, even if the muscles are bruised. I love that about you," he continued, deepening his thrusts with each syllable. Slow and deep, careful yet ravenous.

"Really?" I teased. "Because your dick is a little crooked and turned up like a banana. But when you push it in like this -" I put my hands on either side of his hips and pulled them as close to me as they would go, taking him as deep inside as I could get him. "- it fucking makes me wild. I love that about you."

Edward attempted a crooked smile and leaned into to give me a small kiss. "Well, haven't we switched roles? I love your smile and you love my dick? Seems a little gender conflicted to me."

"Did you really think you wore the pants in this relationship?"

He paused, his eyes twisting into a mix between confusion and offense. "Nice dirty talk," he said dryly, pulling away from me the slightest.

_Stupid! _

You don't tell your man he doesn't wear the pants when he's balls deep inside of you - unless that's sort of your thing - which is not the case.

I had to think fast.

"Oh, now don't get offended, Edward. I just wanted you to show me who the man was." I dragged my toes up the back of his legs, slowly pulling his pelvis closer to me again. I immediately felt his absence and hated it. "Show me who the man is, Edward."

"Doesn't your face hurt?"

"Not as much as my -"

But Edward didn't let me finish. He pressed his finger to my lips and brought his face centimeters from mine. "Bella, my dear. Do not mistake my compassion for weakness again, it will be the last time you do it."

I opened my lips and sucked his finger into my mouth playfully, dragging it out seductively. "Is that a threat?"

Edward didn't answer. He twisted me around, pushed me against the rocks and twisted his fingers in my hair. He pulled my head back to face him. "You want it rough? All you have to do is fucking ask."

I snickered and perked my butt into his groin, sliding his cock between my slit. "Fuck me, Edward. Please."

Edward thrust into me again, one hand on my hip, the other on the back of my hair. He slammed into me, the crashing water and moans falling from my lips making a little melody in my head. It was beautiful and sensual and pure.

Just when I thought I'd tip over the edge and explode around his shaft, he palmed my breast with his hand and I fell apart. My orgasm shuttered through me, making me forget all about the pain in my face. Edward groaned and bit into my shoulder which was an apparent sign that he had reached his climax as well.

"God, we were made for each other, weren't we?" I breathlessly murmured after my sense of reality had returned.

He said nothing, just chuckled and nodded in agreement.

By the time we'd calmed down and gotten dressed, we still had no ideas about what to do about the media and outing ourselves. In fact, it was getting so late that I was having a hard time walking in a straight line, let alone make important decisions like that. I was exhausted and all of the nerve endings in my face had started pounding against my skin again. I wanted nothing more than a Valium and a good place to sleep.

We were driving for approximately fifteen minutes before I gave into my instincts and drifted off in his passenger seat. I was gone, lost in my own mind. It was only when we stopped an hour later that I woke, a bit startled and confused as to where we were. The bright lights threw me off.

"Why are we stopping?" I involuntarily asked. The logical reason was gas, but that thought hadn't immediately occurred to me.

"The Audi needs a drink," Edward teased, giving me a goofy smile and a kiss on the forehead. "Go back to sleep."

That sounded like an excellent idea.

I felt my eyes starting to close again as Edward climbed out of the car and walked into the small convenience store. But my aspirations of drifting off were cut short by the abrupt rumbling of a V8 engine barreling into the gas station next to us. The driver pulled up to the pump diagonally from me, on the side closest to the store. The convertible GT Mustang had a young brunette girl sitting in the back and a startling beautiful blond sitting in the passenger.

But the girls weren't what scared me and made me slink into my seat as far as I could go. The driver was none other than the scum of the planet who had turned my face into play dough. I started to hate him until I saw his face. I had roughed him up a hundred times worse than what he had done to me. At first, I tried to hide - but that idea seemed silly for some reason. I sort of felt like karma was throwing me a fricking clue here. So I grabbed my phone out of my purse and held it over the top of the car, snapping some pictures of the girls kissing Scott, kissing each other, fondling every inch of his suit as he stood there to pump the gas.

When I got tired of pointing and aiming, I switched the view to video and recorded everything that was going on.

The brunette was obviously very intoxicated and leaned forward over the edge of the car, almost falling out in the process. "Scotty, you said you were taking us to a mansion. When are we getting there?" She pouted.

"Yeah, I want to go skinny dipping," the blond slurred in agreement.

"We're almost there, I promise," he said smoothly, his voice like butter.

"Then, will we do more yee-ahh-yyoo?" Blondie blurted.

"Only if you're a good girl," Scott teased. He pulled something out of his cane, what looked like a short, narrow stick, and brought it to his nose, inhaling deeply. Then, he brought it to Blondie. She took a hit and laughed, rubbing her nose afterwards.

He finished pumping his gas, laughed at something the girls said and drove off into the night.

It was only after they were gone that Edward finally returned from the store.

"Did you see him?" I asked.

"Of course," Edward hissed. "It took everything I had not to run over there and beat the life out of him."

"That was a sign, Edward. This is what we're supposed to do."

"Calm down, sparky. We need to think about this. We can't just go around making accusations -" Edward started, shaking the gas handle in the pump to get the last little drips.

"Accusations? I have proof." I waved my Blackberry in the air.

Edward gave me a smile and hopped in the car next to me, immediately pressing his lips to mine. "You're an incredibly mischievous little minx, aren't you?"

I shot him a wink and pressed replay as fast as I could. Everything was crystal clear. You could hear the girls admit to being on illicit drugs and practically beg him for more. The only thing I needed now was some way of finding out who those girls were. They were certainly not his fiancee, Bree Tanner, heir to the infamous Tanner Railroad fortune. If he thought he was blackmailing me now, he had another thing coming. Edward and I watched the footage one more time before he pulled my phone from my hands and started fidgeting with the buttons.

"Wait! What are you doing? Don't delete it!" I shouted, reaching for the phone.

"I'm not. Chill out," he snorted.

"What? Are you sending it to someone?" I asked as I leaned over his shoulder and glimpsed at the screen. "No. Don't do that! This is our ammunition to keep his mouth shut."

"Oh no, my love. This is revenge. We've already decided we're outing ourselves - his blackmail means nothing. I'll ruin his life for what he did to you," Edward sneered. "Besides, I'm sending it to my brother. See?"

He showed me the screen that simply read: "The girls?"

"No worries," he assured me, throwing the phone back into my lap before taking off. "Do you think he saw you?"

"Not a chance. My presence definitely would have caused a reaction of some sort," I teased, sitting back in my seat.

"Perfect," Edward cooed.

And then we were off. Nothing more was said about Scott, the girls, or our plan to destroy him. It was only when we started seeing signs for "Orlando" that Edward spoke again.

"So I was thinking," he started. "Eleazar seems like the kind of guy to be easily bribed, doesn't he?"

"I suppose," I answered. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"Suppose we make a deal with him, a better deal than Scott could offer."

"He already has the pictures of us, Edward. What more could we offer him?"

"The exact time and place that we'll be out together. He's the first to get the real story. Maybe we could even offer an interview with him or something along those lines. 'Edward and Bella Speak Out' kind of thing. What do you think?"

I mulled the idea around in my head for a few seconds, deliberating the pros and cons. Sure, it would solve our Scott problems and even give us a chance to put our own spin on the story. But could I be sure I was really ready for the top to blow off the metaphorical kettle?

As we pulled back into the hotel, I saw that the crowd of reporters at the front door had yet to dissipate. It was almost four am. What in the fuck were they still doing here?

The sight made up my mind for me. Absolutely I was ready. Absolutely I wanted this over with - consequences be damned.

"I think we need to meet with Eleazar in Houston. See what he thinks of this whole thing," I suggested, scooting down in my seat so that no one saw me.

Edward nodded his head and discreetly pulled around to the service entrance. There was already someone there waiting for him.

"You're late, Mr. Edward," the young man called from a random door, waving at us to get inside quickly.

Edward parked the car, climbed out and beckoned for me to follow closely behind him.

"I know, Bernard. Thank you for waiting." Edward fixed his shirt and grabbed my hand, ushering us into the back of what I realized was the kitchen.

"I've been out here for an hour, man. Hurry it up," Bernard complained as he led us through the huge room and out to the hall on the other side. "Forgive me, Miss Lady Friend, but I was supposed to clean the pool an hour ago. Your friend is not very punctual," he whispered to me, although it was evident that secrecy was not something he wanted to achieve. He pushed the door open in front of us and gave me a sheepish smile.

Edward fished an undisclosed amount of money out of his pocket and shoved it in Bernard's hand. "And your time is not something I wish to waste." Edward shot him a wink and gestured for me to walk ahead.

"Thank you, Mr. Edward," Bernard called after us. "Come back to Orlando anytime!" That must have been one big wad of cash.

Edward and I kept walking to the elevator. I was damn near passing out on his shoulder, I was so tired. Once the doors had enclosed us in the tiny, metal box, Edward put his finger under my chin and tilted my head up to face him, giving me a tender kiss in response. "You look exhausted," he teased.

"Wonder why."

Edward laughed and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me into him tighter.

"Vegas it is, then. We'll meet with Eleazar tomorrow night in Houston," he decided.

He pressed his lips to my forehead just as the doors opened on my floor. Edward walked me to my door, gave me a sweet kiss goodnight and told me he would see me in Texas.

I was sure I was asleep before my head hit the pillow. Again, I didn't undress. I slept in the sundress I had worn to the springs, the smell of lake water and ten thousand minerals clinging to my damp hair.

I had expected to wake up to a yelling and screaming Alice. That seemed to be the norm recently. How far along was she now? Four months? Five months? I was a terrible friend.

Instead of preggo, I found myself blinking wildly at Rosalie Hale, who had somehow snuck into my bedroom and passed out in my bed next to me. She, too, was still fully clothed and hadn't even removed her make up before going to sleep. It was caked around her eyes, making her look like a raccoon instead of the gorgeous friend I had known since second grade.

I nudged her. She groaned in response and rolled over. I nudged her again.

"Rose?" I whimpered.

Her eyes fluttered open and she sat up, looking around at the room. "What the hell?"

"My thoughts exactly," I teased.

"Oh, shit. I'm sorry."

"What are you doing in here?"

"I came to tell you something last night. But you looked so content, I didn't have the heart to wake you," Rose explained.

"So you just snuck in and curled up next to me?"

On second thought, this shouldn't have been unusual for me. Rose's parents used to fight, often and intensely. Alice and Jake would sleep through the shit, but when Rose woke up and heard the horrible things they would say to each other, she would sneak the few blocks over to my house, climb in my window and curl up next to me. Sometimes I woke up, sometimes I didn't. She was always gone at dawn. Rose was ashamed of this for some reason, and made me swear never to tell anyone - including Alice and Jake. For some reason, I never did.

"Jenks' knows," she murmured with a despondent undertone, as if his finding out was a terrible experience for her to have lived through.

My heart literally skipped a beat.

"What?" I practically choked.

"Scott told him," she started, glancing down to the bed. "Last night. We were all standing outside, smoking cigars. It was late, everyone was shit faced. The banquet was over and you had even gone upstairs. Scott pulled him aside, whispered in his ear. The next thing I know, the two of them are saying their goodbyes and sneaking upstairs. I followed them, Bella. They came to your room. They knocked." Then Rose paused, but she didn't really need to continue.

"I wasn't here," I whispered solemnly.

"Then, they went to Cullen's room. He wasn't there either," Rose continued.

"The simple fact that neither of us were in our room's at the same time doesn't mean we were out together," I reasoned, my voice shaky and grim. I was trying to think of anything, any excuse whatsoever.

"It was one thirty in the morning. You should have been here." Rose met eyes with me again. "Scott showed him the picture. He knows, babe." Rose sighed and wrapped her arms around me. "I'm sorry that I past out in your bed." She stood, grabbed her shoes and tossed a room key on the bed. "Swiped that from bellhop number three last night. Sick fuck only wanted to see my tits."

"Fuck, Rose. What am I going to do?" I pressed my palms into my eye sockets and leaned back on the bed, forgetting for a second that the whole left side of my face was in shambles. I winced from the jolt of pain that instantly shot through my body.

"Honestly, Bella. He didn't seem that upset. And even Scott asked him if he was going to fire you or demand your resignation, but Jenks didn't say a word. In fact, he didn't really say anything at all. Just kind of stormed down the hallway. He looked sad - ashamed, even," she explained.

"Great. Thanks for that thorough description there." I closed my eyes and sighed. "What time is it?"

"Eight thirty. What time does your plane leave?"

"Twelve."

"Time to get moving then." Rose gave me a gentle smile and then walked out of my suite.

I jumped out of bed and started packing, all the while secretly wishing I could just take Edward and hop on a different jet. Perhaps we'd go to Italy or Spain, and he could show me around, show me all the beautiful landscapes, show me what inspired the paintings on the walls in his apartment. Surely, he must have been the artist. We'd just leave this all behind and I'd never have to face Jenks.

Luckily, Jenks would be on a different flight there. He liked to get out early and get a head start on things.

I wouldn't have to see him until then.

I wondered if Jenks would take it upon himself to tell Carlisle, or perhaps Carlisle already knew? What would he have to say about this if he didn't?

As soon as I was packed and had covered up the giant bruise on my face, I met up with Alice and Jasper in the lobby, explaining to them what had happened and how I was in deep shit as we took the cab to the airport. Five minutes into my speech, my phone starting ringing from an unknown number.

I scrunched my face in confusion and answered, giving the caller a shaky, "Hello?"

"Hey, it's me," the familiar British voice responded.

_Fuck!_

_I'd promised Will that I'd go skydiving with him today._

_Fuckity - fuck -fuck._

I pressed my fingers to my temples and continued. "Hi, Will. How are you?" I said through my teeth.

"You sound busy, is this a convenient time?"

"Sure," I reluctantly agreed. "What's up?"

"Well, I'm afraid I'll need to cancel our plans for skydiving today. They're calling for thunderstorms, and no one wants to be falling out of the sky when it does eventually hit," Will explained with a laugh. "I've been there; it's not a pleasant experience."

_Of course he has._

"Not a problem, Will. Raincheck."

"That's actually another reason I called you. Have you decided on your plans for Vegas?" he asked, sounding more than incredibly hopeful.

_My Birthday / coming out party? Oh sure, come on over. Bring a friend! We can all laugh at my fall from grace together._

"I haven't," I lied.

"There's a really great sky diving team out there, one of the best. We should go then," he suggested.

"I'll see if I can and let you know. Right now, I've got to go. Thanks for calling, Will."

He started to say goodbye, but I hung up on him.

_Hm._

Thunderstorms. Problem solved.

If only a case of bad weather could solve the massive problem I had facing me in the Lone Star state.

"And?" Jasper continued.

_Oh right! I was telling them what happened._

"So, then I wake up and Rosalie's in my bed -" I regaled the tale on the rest of the ride there. By the time we were standing in line for baggage check in, both Jasper and Alice were gawking at me. Alice simply pulled her shades up on the top of her head and sighed, shaking her head in disappointment.

"You knew this would happen," she hissed, pointing her finger at me. "I told you this would happen." We moved up in line.

"Oh don't get all high and mighty on me now," I snapped back. "You could have resigned the minute you found out you were pregnant, but you stood by me regardless -" I argued. We walked up to the next available attendant and placed our tickets and ID's on the counter.

"Yes, because I loved you, not because I thought any of this was a good idea," Alice spat in return.

"Alright, ladies," Jasper interrupted. "Just calm down. You both love each other, and this was no one's fault. Who's to say he's even upset about it?"

"Ms. Swan, Ms. Brandon?" the attendant asked in a high pitched, chipper voice.

"Yes?" Alice and I said in unison.

"I'm sorry, but your tickets have been cancelled. You're to report to the private flight corridor right down there." She pointed to an area labelled "Private Flight Loading Dock" and gave us a warm smile. "Mr. Whitlock, you may continue on this way."

"Uh, no. Absolutely not. Either he goes on our flight, or I go on his," Alice insisted.

"It's fine, honey. I'll meet you in Houston," Jasper retorted.

"No, it's not. Check it again," I hissed to the attendant. "These tickets shouldn't have been canceled. I made no such call."

"They were not canceled by you, m'am," the attendant explained. "The call came from a Mr. Jason Jenks, the owner of the company that purchased the tickets. I have no other choice, and I certainly can not allow this man on the private flight. I've not been given authorization for that."

"But -" Alice interjected.

"Please proceed this way, M'am." The attendant's voice was no longer chipper. It had turned sour and stern, as if she was talking to misbehaving children. "Sir, your bags please."

Alice glared at her.

"It's fine, babe. Just go," Jasper continued. "I'll meet you there."

Alice and Jasper said their goodbyes as I took off towards the loading area. When she finally caught up with me, she slowed me down and asked if I knew what this was all about.

Shrugging, I told her I hadn't a clue and continued on to the door leading to the ground level where a G5 airplane was waiting for us a few feet in the distance.

My heart literally jumped into my throat when I saw Scott and Jenks standing on either side of the steps. My knees almost gave out on me. "Oh shit," I blurted.

"Shit's right," Alice agreed.

"What the hell is going on?" I roared to Jenks once he was in earshot.

"Get on the plane, Swan. We have a lot to talk about," Jenks replied with a grimace smeared across his face.

I climbed the steps and stepped into the plane, instantly taking in the scene around me.

The first face I recognized was Edward. Then I saw Carlisle and Tanya and I knew, right then and there, that Jenks had told everyone - and we were in deep shit. Deep, deep shit.

"Mr. Cullen, Ms. Denali. To what do I owe the pleasure?" I choked, taking the seat closest to the door directly across from where Edward was sitting. I clutched my purse on my lap and smiled, trying to act calm about everything. I was falling apart on the inside. My brain was rapidly trying to come up with a reason why we could all be here, other than the most obvious one. Perhaps the merger fell through, or maybe Carlisle was going to announce it sooner or something like that. In any case, my heart was pounding so hard in my chest that I was sure Edward could hear it from across the aisle.

Carlisle laughed as Jenks and Scott made their way inside. Alice sat next to me and Jenks next to her. Scott opted for a spot way in the back, where he would be easily able to rest his eyes. He'd had a hard night, I imagined.

The atmosphere was suffocating and tense as the plane started backing away from the airport. Jenks and Scott were staring at me, Carlisle and Tanya were talking amongst themselves, and Edward looked rough - like he hadn't slept since the last time I saw him, merely hours ago. His eyes were red and a bit puffy, almost as if he'd been crying. I wanted nothing more than to get his attention and demand to know what the hell was going on. But doing so would mean that I'd admit to everything they were about to accuse me of, and that wasn't something I was ready for. We were practically in the air before anyone even said anything.

Tanya was the first one to break the silence. "Lindsay will be around shortly with some drinks." We were all so startled by her voice that, suddenly, all eyes were on her. "So, this is awkward, huh?" she teased with a smile. "Bella, Edward, just be honest, alright?"

Carlisle cleared his throat and glared at her, as if to suggest she shut the fuck up.

"That's all I'm going to say." She threw her hands up in the air and sighed, crossing them with dismay across her knee.

"How long has this been going on?" Carlisle asked, looking directly at me.

I immediately looked to Edward, who crossed his leg away from his father and placed a finger over his lips, giving me no hint or clue as to what to say. Should I lie? Should I tell the truth? I searched his swollen, puffy eyes for any sign. He frowned and looked away from me.

What the fuck was going on?

"How long has what being -" I started.

"You know damn well what!" Jenks demanded with the authority of a man who'd been telling people what to do his entire life. Suddenly, I felt like I was five again, like I was being punished for destroying the neighbors rose bushes or something. I sat up straight and squared my chin. "You and _him," _Jenks spat, pointing between Edward and I.

I took a deep breath and sighed. "What will you do when you learn the truth? Fire me? Sue them? Why is my personal life any business of yours?"

"It would have been nice to know before we agreed to a merger," Carlise calmly explained. "You two go public and then our companies merge -" Carlisle shook his head solemnly. "It doesn't look good. It makes us look like we can't keep our dicks in our pants. Not a good light to shed on the company. You understand?"

"So, here's what's going to happen," Jenks continued. "You will not go public and we burn these photos that Scott paid to have taken of you. We forget this whole experience ever even happened. The media will speculate, and we will let them speculate."

"You two," Scott started, "are done. Say goodbye now because you won't be seeing each other in any way other than a professional manner from here forward."

"You shut your fucking mouth!" Edward suddenly yelled, unbuckling his seat belt to stand and point at Scott. "You're the reason we're having this discussion right now, you fucking coward. You're the reason -" It felt like Edward was about to say something about my face but stopped himself. "Why are you even here?"

"Wh-what?" Scott chuckled as he stood, inching closer to Edward. "Why wouldn't I be here?"

"You're not an owner and you're definitely not on the board. So, I'll ask again, why are - you - here?" Edward looked around the plane, eyeballing Jenks and Carlisle specifically. "Did we not arrange it so that Mr. Whitlock had to take his original flight? Why is it that Scott is allowed access to these meetings, yet he serves no purpose on their outcomes whatsoever?"

"He's my grandson," Jenks retorted.

"Yeah, but is he of any _real _significance? He might as well be my brother, and you don't see him here."

"This is my family's business. I'm here because, like you, I was born to be here," Scott shouted.

"Don't compare yourself to me. You and I are nothing alike," Edward sneered. He drew closer to Scott, a look to his face like he was going to kill him.

Carlisle stood and got between Edward and Scott, pressing his palm into Edward's chest. "Son, go sit down. We're hardly done descending. Calm."

"I want him off this flight," Edward hissed.

"Why now," Jenks exclaimed. "That's impossible. You're being ridiculous. I can certainly understand your frustration with him, he's just blown your cover. But you can hardly blame him for doing the right thing. Swan, you should have come to me in the beginning."

"The right thing?" I interrupted. All heads turned to face me. "How is this the right thing? If what we were doing remained personal, who knows where it would have ended up? Probably in the shitter - but none of this would have been happening. Christ, look at us! We're about to have live UFC at thirty thousand feet."

Tanya laughed. She was the only one. It wasn't that I was trying to make a joke out of anything, I just thought the men needed to sit their asses back down and discuss this matter professionally. "It's only two hours, Edward. Chill out," I added. "Scott, I agree with Edward. From now on, like before, you're not to come to any of our meetings. You don't belong here and you only complicate matters."

"Look at you, dictating rules and what not. Aren't you here to be yelled at?" Scott retorted.

"Scott Jason," Jenks roared. "That's enough."

Edward glared at him and took a step back to sit down again.

Scott snickered in response, which set Edward off even more. "Laugh it up, snow nose. You don't know who you're fucking with."

No one else, save Scott and myself, caught that nickname. I wanted to laugh, Scott looked confused.

"You do realize that Eleazar Michael will never rest until he knows the truth. He'll publish those photos with or without a release." Alice chimed in, getting us back on subject.

"Eleazar Michael will be dealt with," Carlisle interjected, casting a sideways glance at Edward who avoided looking at his father all together. Instead, Edward shifted his gaze to me momentarily and then to the ground, as if what they were saying had any merit on what we would actually do. He was the angriest I'd ever seen him, his eyes wide and flaring with rage.

"Dealt with?" I asked. "How so?"

"You're not to see each other anymore, do you understand? This," Jenks said, pointing between the two of us, "will not happen, did not happen, is not happening. End of story. Do we understand each other?"

"And what will you do if I strongly disagree?" I snapped.

"You're lucky I'm letting you keep your job," Jenks roared. "And you will remember this leniency the next time you two meet, professionally or otherwise. We can't afford for you to piss away ninety combined years of busting our asses."

His voice made my skin crawl. If I had any balls whatsoever, I would have reached out and slugged him for talking to me like that. But instead, I adverted my eyes and looked away from the group. I felt my world falling apart around me. Jenks and Carlisle ending our relationship was one of the hardest things I'd ever been forced to hear. My eyes started to water, and even though I was using everything in me to keep them at bay, a single tear rolled down my cheek. I brushed it away and leaned back in my seat, heaving a sigh of frustration.

_No!_

_No - no - no._

_Fuck that!  
_  
I wasn't giving him up that easily. We had been meeting in secret for the past few months, we could get away with it for a few more nights if need be. Besides, we had our own agenda. We were outing ourselves in Vegas and giving Eleazar the premier story, provided Carlisle didn't kill him first.

Suddenly, that sideways glance replayed in my head. There was more to that look than I imagined. Carlisle would put Edward up to getting rid of him - _by any means necessary._ Edward would be back to his old tricks, something he swore he never wanted to do again. People get killed when Carlisle starts to plot.  
_  
Oh, shit! That's what's wrong with him. _

What the fuck was I going to do?

Just then, my phone buzzed in my purse. I pulled it out and took a look at the message. It was from six am this morning and a number I didn't recognize. It simply read "Carmen Michael and Renata Smith." I was confused at first, until I remembered the video footage that Edward had sent to Emmett last night. This must be the reply.

Carmen Michael. Why does that name sound so familiar?

I should know this.

Who is it?

_Who is it? _

I racked my brain for the next two hours while Carlisle and Jenks finished lecturing and casting demands. It didn't matter what they were saying, I'd go my own route anyway. If Jenks fired me, then so be it. But somewhere deep down inside, I had a feeling he wouldn't. If he was going to do that, he'd have done it already, and once the public loved us, he'd be silly to get rid of me.

So what if he did, anyway?

It's not like I wouldn't find another job. I wouldn't be a CEO, but I'd work my way up again.

Just when I was about to give up and start thinking about what to say to Eleazar in Houston, it hit me.

A random report on TV or something like that -

_Daughter of famed Paparazzi, Eleazar Michael, arrested on DUI charges._

That's right! They found an eight ball on her that night.

_Well, shit!_

Karma had just upped the ante.

**A/N: I apologize for taking so long to get this up and for not sending out any teasers. By the time I had enough written for a teaser, I already had the chapter done, and I figured you'd rather have that anyway. RL has been pretty crazy lately so thanks for your patience. I hope you liked it, and I promise to send you a teaser if you leave a review this time. Many of you have been asking how many chapters are left. I'm thinking between three and four. Thanks so much for reading.**

**PS: IF you haven't checked out the EPOV yet, it is now available on . Check out my profile. :-)**


	25. Everything's Messier in Texas

_**Chapter 25**_  
_**"Everything's Messier in Texas"**_

By the time we'd gotten to Houston, everyone on the plane was exhausted, myself included. I couldn't imagine what must have been going through Edward's head. I'm sure he was as distressed as I was, but I was wearing it a lot better.

It was sweltering in Houston - much, much, hotter than the humid-moisture rich atmosphere of Orlando. Out here, the air was dry and hot, sticking to the back of your throat anytime you took a deep breath. We took separate limos back to the hotel; Alice, Jenks, Scott and I riding together, and the Cullen's in one following ours.

The media frenzy waiting outside the hotel was becoming ritual. Bodyguards ushered us through the crowd as flashes of radiant light went off all around my head. I was damn near blinded by all of it.

It wasn't until that evening that I heard from Edward again. It had seemed like a decade since I'd gotten the chance to talk to him. He told me to be ready to go out by ten and he'd come to pick me up. Needless to say, when I asked him where we were going, he wasn't very forthcoming. He murmured "Somewhere nice" and hung up.

Ten o'clock on the dot, he was knocking at my hotel door. I'd chosen a tight, black dress and matching pumps, opting to pin my hair up this evening.

He eyed me from head to toe and licked his lips. "Ms. Swan, you look good enough to eat."

"Hm," I hummed. "Not until dessert."

"I shot him the best wink I could, considering the left half of my face was in serious pain, and took his arm. As we walked down the hallway to the elevators, I decided to test my luck and ask again. "Where are you taking me?" I mused.

"You'll see," he whispered.

"I just don't understand. Why the suspense? Are we meeting someone?"

"Possibly," he confessed with a laugh.

"Possibly?" I retorted. "Alright, I've got a different question."

"Of course you do," he teased.

I ignored that comment completely. "What was going on with you in the airplane?"

"I'm sorry about that. I was - angry."

"Angry? With whom?"

"Scott, mostly," Edward answered as the elevator doors opened. After we'd walked in, he added, "And my father," before pressing the button for the basement. "This is going to sound rude, and please don't take it the wrong way. But - do me a favor. For the next hour, try to say as little as possible."

"Excuse me?" Was he really expecting me to play the silent woman behind the gentleman tonight? Was he delusional? That was one role I'd never fill - for anyone.

"I asked you not to take it the wrong way. Listen, we've got dirty laundry to wash - you understand? And it's best if you just - don't implicate yourself," he explained with a half-hearted smile.

_What?_

That sounded incredibly too ominous for my liking.

I was tempted to say something about it.

But, he told me to shut up, and he meant with the best regards, if that was even possible. So, I tried my damnedest to keep quiet, to keep still, but I had to know what was going on. It was hardly five seconds before I looked back over to him and smiled. "One more?" I whispered.

He shook his head and sighed. "If you must."

"How are you supposed to _take care of _Eleazar?" I muttered.

"You'll see," he murmured.

"I'll see? What the hell does that mean?"

"Bella -" he started, grunting like he was suddenly frustrated and uncomfortable with this conversation.

But I insisted none the less. "You said no more secrets. If we're in this together, then we need to be on the same page."

His face tightened and his fingers pressed to the bridge of his nose. "Where do you think we're headed?"

My heart jumped into my throat. I didn't know what I was expecting or what he intended to do. Kill him? Beat him up? My imagination was running wild with the expression on his face. "What are we gonna do?"

"Shh!" he hissed.

"Edward! What are we gonna do?" my tone a little more persistent.

The doors chose that moment to open. He pulled my hand through the dimly lit corridor and down to a little room at the end. At first, I thought it was empty. But once I stepped all the way inside, I noticed a tiny light hanging in the middle of the room above a dinner table with one person seated at the end.

"What the hell -" I started.

"Shut. Up," Edward snarled.

The person's head perked up and turned our direction. Once this figure realized who we were, it stood and walked a little closer. I still didn't recognize it -

_Eleazar?_

What the fuck were we doing here?

"Cullen?" Eleazar squeaked.

"Mr. Michael. Good evening. Have my associates treated you kindly?" Edward cooed, walking closer to Eleazar with his right hand out.

"They snatched me out of my hotel room at nine thirty at night," Eleazar hissed, forcibly taking his hand. "What the fuck is this all about?"

Edward walked to the table and gestured for him to sit again. "Please, it'll only take a few minutes of your time."

"And why is she here?" Eleazar asked, pointing in my direction.

"This involves her too," Edward replied. "Please, sit, Mr. Michael."

Edward sat at the end opposite Eleazar and I was put in between them.

A waiter came over to our table and stood next to Edward, who instantly looked up to him and smiled. "A bottle of the House Merlot and the Flat-Iron for me. However the chef prefers to cook it, please," Edward ordered. "Mr. Michael? Anything to eat?"

"No, thank you. Just an explanation would be all, thanks."

"Bella?" Edward hummed.

Come to think of it, I was a little hungry.

"The filet Mignon, medium-rare," I sputtered.

The waiter nodded and turned to walk out of the ginormous room.

"The reason that I've woken you up and dragged you from your room tonight is because I have a special invitation for you," Edward announced.

Eleazar's eyebrows perked in response. "An invitation?"

"As you may or may not know, Bella's birthday is in two days. We'll be celebrating in Las Vegas. We'd like you to cover the party exclusively."

Eleazar, who had been taking a drink of his water, immediately choked and started coughing. "Excuse me?" he managed to mutter.

"Well, a smart gentleman like yourself has surely already found out our dirty little secret," Edward mocked. "Isn't that the deal you made with Scott Jenks?"

Eleazar immediately looked at me. "He tried to blackmail you, didn't he?"

"Did you really expect anything less?" I murmured.

"Hmm." Eleazar nodded and looked a little closer. "That his handy work?" he asked, pointing to my bruised face.

I nodded.

"And I suppose -" He looked to Edward. "- your handy work is splattered all across his broken nose?"

"No," I interrupted. "That would be mine."

Eleazar laughed, took off his glasses and placed them on the table. "Well done_,"_ he teased. "Look, I don't know what Scott told you, but I've already sold the picture rights to Wall Street. They're running the editorial Monday morning."

"So be it," Edward instantly muttered.

_Wallstreet? As in - Wallstreet - mother fucking - Journal?_

"So be it?" Eleazar spat. "Then what are we still doing here?"

"I understand that you have friends in the publicity business," Edward continued.

"Yeah?"

"Then, it would be safe to assume that you would have the privilege of putting a spin on a certain story, if you deemed it so."

"Possibly -" Eleazar was following along this far. Would he make the connection?

"Come to our party. Take the best shots you can. Show the world what's happened here. Then, make us look like America's fucking golden couple - you following me, Pap?"

"Modern day Romeo and Juliet?" Eleazar joked with a huge chuckle. "The public will hate it."

"Or they'll love it," Edward continued. "Either way, it puts our two companies in the lime light once and for all."

"Isn't there a merger planned? Didn't Scott say something about that too?" Eleazar continued. "Matter of fact, where is Scott? And what would he do if he knew you were down here with me?"

"Don't worry about Scott," Edward said in a dark, sinister tone. "He's - out of the picture."

My jaw almost hit the table.

_What the fuck is that supposed to mean?_

_Out of the picture?_

_Exactly - how much - out of the picture?_

_Like dead - out of the picture?_

It was at this moment that the waiter came around with our wine. He popped the cork, made this big show about pouring only a little and giving it to Edward to sniff and taste. Once agreed upon, the waiter poured each of us a glass and set the bottle in the cooler next to the table.

"Well, Mr. Cullen. All I hear in your plan is how I'll do these things for you. What's it in for me?"

"Besides being the first to get the exclusive on the CEO scandal? How's twenty thousand dollars?" Edward offered. When Eleazar didn't immediately respond, Edward continued. "Well, I suppose I could find a different paparazzi if you're tied up with other obligations. You ticks are dime a dozen," Edward smirked, taking a sip of his wine in the process.

I was stupefied. Even though I felt like I should be saying something, I knew Edward had a plan. It pissed me off that he didn't let me in on it to begin with, even more so that he'd made a point to tell me to be quiet. But maybe he was protecting me somehow. Maybe he knew that I was going to head this new company and my reputation meant more than his. Whatever the case, I sat there and sipped my drink, idly looking back and forth between them as they talked.

"Let me think about it. Let me call some people - see what they say," Eleazar groaned. "I can't make a decision like this overnight. I'm not sure I can spin the story, I'm not sure -"

"Pity," Edward interrupted. "Mr. Michael, I tell ya', I was really hoping it didn't have to come to this."

"Come to what?"

"I can and most likely will extort you if you continue to be uncooperative."

"Extort? What exactly do you have up your sleeve, son? I've done nothing wrong," Eleazar spat.

"Do you know where your daughter was at two am this morning?" Edward started. "Because - I do."

Eleazar's face seemed puzzled at first, as if he wasn't sure what to say or do. Just then, a movie started playing on the wall next to us from a projector above the table. I hadn't even noticed it was there until now. Then I realized it wasn't a movie. It was the footage I'd taken of his daughter and Scott. Eleazar was absolutely shocked.

After it finished, the three of us sat there in silence.

"Now, Eleazar. It is in your best interest to come to the party and do your job. You take photos. You make front page news. It all happens because of you. I mean, what would this world be like without having seen Britney Spear's crotch?"

Eleazar took a deep breath and leaned his head in his hands. "Thirty thousand and you give me that DVD. You'll have your spin."

"That's the spirit!" Edward exclaimed. "Caesar's Palace. Pure Nightclub. Tomorrow night after the banquet."

Nobody moved.

"You can go now," Edward snarled.

Eleazar stood and took a few steps back. "Where do I find Scott?" Eleazar finally whispered.

"You found us in the middle of Baltimore from a hotel room across the street. You want him, you sniff him out," Edward hissed, snapping his fingers insistently. All of a sudden, Tanya appeared out of the same door we'd come through and sauntered right up to the table. She reached above us, popped out the DVD and handed it to Eleazar.

Almost seething, he snatched it from her hands and stormed out of the room. Tanya laughed and followed behind him.

I was dumbstruck.

_What the fuck had just happened?_

_Did we really just - seal the deal?_

I was really about to out myself. We were really doing this.

The waiter came around with our steaks before either of us spoke. "Where's Scott?" I finally sputtered, looking longingly at my meal. Suddenly, I didn't feel hungry anymore. Sure, I hated the guy and I certainly didn't wish good things for him. But death at the hand of Edward Cullen was the last thing I'd ever want for both of them.

"What time is it?" he mused, cutting off a chunk of meat and shoving it into his mouth.

"Don't avoid the question. Just answer me. Where is he?"

"I don't know," he groaned. "Tell me what time it is, and I'd have a better idea."

Narrowing my eyes at him, I reached into my purse and pulled out my phone. "Ten forty five."

Edward finished chewing his steak and swallowed before answering. "I imagine he's being yanked out of bed right now and loaded into the back of a refrigerator truck. You should eat your steak," Edward explained.

I choked a laugh and rolled my eyes. "Stop fucking with me," I teased.

"I'm not fucking with you. You wanted the truth, _this _is the truth. You and I are going to eat our dinner in peace and then, we're going to scare the living shit out of that little prick so that he doesn't even think of touching you again." With that, he took another bite of his steak and smiled.

Absolutely stunned, I managed a small nod before taking a small bite of my meal. I chewed and swallowed it, instantly realizing that my stomach was in too many knots for food right now. I sat my silverware down and decided to get drunk instead, instantly picking up the wine and taking a huge gulp.

"Whoa there, killer. Calm down," Edward mused. "Eat more of your steak."

"I'm really not hungry anymore," I protested.

"Trust me, you're gonna wish you'd eaten it."

"No, I don't think so. Alice, Jasper and I ordered some room service earlier," I explained.

He put his silverware down and wiped his mouth, slowly taking my hand. "Bella, this is not going to be a good night. You will forever be haunted by what we do. You shouldn't be worried about the repercussions of your actions; you'll get away with everything. But you're going to need a strong stomach."

"Edward," I cooed.

"Yes?"

"Is Scott dead?" I whispered. "Are we - are we going to bury him?"

"Do you think I would have asked you to dress nice if I planned on taking you shoveling?"

I laughed.

"On a more serious note, I feel like I have to tell you that you might not feel the same way about me after tonight. And if that's the case -" he started.

"Edward, please share this with me. Please tell me what's going on."

"Let me finish," he insisted. "If you find that you don't feel the same way, I'll understand." He paused and took a deep breath. "No matter what happens, just know that you have awakened something inside me, something I thought died a long time ago. I love you, and probably will for the rest of my life." His face tensed momentarily, like he was seriously worried about what was going on tonight.

"I love you, too," I whispered. "And I don't think that's going to change anytime soon."

His lips tightened. "Don't be so quick to assume. Now, eat the rest of your dinner, and try to remember what I said about keeping quiet."

"Yes, your highness," I teased with a small chuckle.

He rolled his eyes and laughed, picking up a small piece of steak and placing it in his mouth.

We didn't say much throughout the rest of dinner. I sat idly by and pondered where the night would take me. How exactly would I come to see Edward differently? If he'd meant what he said, then I was probably going to see Edward kick Scott's ass tonight. But that wouldn't make me see him any different.

Would we be torturing the little prick? Assaulting him? Murdering him?

I had to admit. If I saw Edward kill someone right in front of me, I'd probably be pissed. And he was right, it would change the way I saw him. Killing someone in self defense was a lot more forgivable than murder in the name of money and capitalism, (even though it happened everyday.)

It suddenly clicked into place.

_Jesus Christ!_

I was going to watch Edward kill him tonight.

My heart started beating so fast, I could literally feel it pulsating in my head.

_Fuck! _

I didn't want this. I didn't want Edward to have to kill anymore people. Wasn't one enough? Edward was a good man, he didn't deserve this, he didn't do anything wrong. The whole thing just made me sick.

"Hey," Edward murmured. "You're going to be fine, okay? Stop worrying."

"Are _you_ going to be fine?"

He shot me a crooked smile and shrugged. "Maybe, Maybe not," he answered with a wink.

"Stop fucking with me," I snorted. "I don't want anything to happen to you. Promise you'll be with me for my Birthday. I want you there."

"I'll be fine. I promise."

"Will you be there?" I asked again.

He sighed and gave me a small smile. "Yes. I promise I'll be there for your Birthday."

"I can't do this alone. If we put our relationship out in the open, I need you by my side, every step of the way."

"I promise," he said again.

"That's two times you've promised me. I'm holding you to it."

He laughed and nodded in my direction. "Okay, then. You ready to do this?" he asked, wiping his mouth and throwing the napkin down on the table next to his plate.

"Am I ready to go do something possibly illegal that I don't even know what it is? Sure, bring it on," I joked.

He grabbed my hand and led me out of the room through the same door we entered. We walked down the corridor and out the "Emergency Exit" by the elevators. A car was already waiting with Tanya in the driver's seat. It was a dark blue Lincoln Continental, something entirely too – _normal – _for Edward.

"You're really bringing her along?" Tanya shouted as she climbed out and slammed the door behind her.

"She deserves to know," Edward explained, immediately taking the spot Tanya once occupied. I climbed into the passenger seat as she hopped in the back.

"You're liable to get her arrested, Edward," Tanya chided.

"Something tells me she's smarter than that," Edward retorted, putting the car in reverse and taking off.

"Okay," I announced. "Now that we're in, what I'm assuming, is a safe car, anyone mind telling me what the hell is going on?"

Tanya's jaw just dropped. "You didn't even tell her where we're going?"

"She'll figure it out," he answered.

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here. Where are we going?" I persisted.

She looked up at him and he met eyes with her through the rearview.

"The desert," Tanya finally muttered.

"Far, far into the desert," Edward continued.

"For what?"

He smirked with a definite arrogance that permeated through us both. Tanya just glared at him.

"Revenge," Edward mumbled. "Now, shut up and hang on."

I didn't say anything else.

About forty five minutes into our ride, Tanya leaned forward and pressed her head in between the two seats, deciding to break the silent tension in the atmosphere. "So, what are you guys gonna do? I assume you're not planning on listening to Carlisle and Jenks."

Edward sighed. "Sit back in your seat, Tanya," he groaned.

"Are you gonna go public?"

"That's the plan," I answered.

"Eleazar?"

"He'll be putting a spin on the story, making us look as good as possible," I explained.

"And what will happen when you both get fired? Are you gonna run away and get married?" Tanya joked, looking right at Edward.

"What's with the twenty questions? Are you five again, all of a sudden?" Edward retorted. "Sit down."

"I'm just trying to figure what I'm going to have to do. If I need to make a play for your job, I'd rather get myself prepared now," Tanya exclaimed.

"Bella's not going anywhere," Edward said.

"What the hell does that mean?" I interrupted. "I'm not going anywhere. _I'm_ not, but _you _are, right?"

"I didn't say that," he protested.

"You promised, Edward," I snapped.

"I know what I said," Edward hissed. "Can – both of you – just stop talking? Please?"

"Grump," Tanya teased. "He always gets so cranky before we torture someone."

"Torture?" I gasped.

"Tanya!" he shouted.

"You didn't tell her? You idiot! Why would you do that?" Tanya griped. "You can't just bring someone along to stand witness and _not _tell them what they're gonna see."

Edward slammed on the brakes and pulled to the side of the dirt road.

I almost couldn't believe my ears. Here I was, thinking the worst, thinking that we were just going to go kill the fucker and bury him somewhere in the sand. But it was much, much worse than that. We were going to _torture_ him? I just wasn't sure I had the stomach for that.

"Alright, listen," Edward hissed, turning around to face Tanya. "We're not torturing anyone, so get that out of your head right now, Denali. And we're not going to kill anyone either," he said, turning to me. "Both of you, just chill the fuck out! You're driving me crazy."

"You sound just like your father," she instigated.

"Tanya, I swear to God," he snarled. "I'll leave you on the side of this abandoned road in the middle of Bumfuck Texas. The closest city is twenty miles back. You looking to walk that far tonight?"

She snorted a laugh and shook her head. "No, thank you."

"Then, both of you, please – shut the hell up," Edward hissed. "I've got a plan, alright? And the more you talk, the more I'm starting to think it was a bad idea bringing either of you along."

"Why did you bring both of us along?"

"I might need some man power, and Emmett's –- unable to make it," Edward answered delicately.

"Is he with Rose?" I asked quietly, which was immediately met by a glare from Edward.

"Rose? Rosalie Hale?" Tanya repeated, almost in shock.

"Yes, on both accounts," he explained.

"Pussy before profession. Wonderful," Tanya acidly spat.

I laughed and looked back at her with a smile. Edward just shook his head and sighed.

"Hey, not that I blame him. She's hot as shit. I'd fuck her until the sun came up," Tanya added, leaning back in her seat finally.

"You'd fuck anything until the sun came up," Edward teased.

"Hey! I'm not a whore, dickbag. I wouldn't fuck _just _anything."

"Oh, that's right," Edward continued. "As long as there's a place for you to shove your fingers, you'll fuck anything."

"Bite your tongue!" she shouted at him. "Don't let Edward fool you, Bella. I'm very much married to and in love with my partner Kate."

"Is that why you're sleeping in Irina's old apartment?" Edward prodded. "I thought it was because you preferred your dead sister's belongings to your own."

"You wanna start this? Right here? Right now?"

"No," he snapped. "I want you to shut the hell up already. Christ! Your babble never ends."

But Tanya had already gotten on a roll. "First of all, _you're _the one who closed off the whole fucking place like a damn tomb. All because you wanted a bedroom that faced your -"

"Needed, Tanya. Did you forget what Carlisle - You know what? This doesn't even matter. We're almost there."

"Dick," she smirked, crossing her arms at him.

I didn't push the issue. I just nodded and stared out my window, trying to decide exactly what tonight would do to me. I was getting glorious insight into the exact dynamic of Edward and Tanya's relationship. Clearly, she irritated the shit out of him – quite like a little sister. But, I could also tell that this was not her first time riding along with Edward on one of his little _missions. _This was something they'd done together several times, and I wouldn't be surprised if she was just as guilty as he was for half of the illegal activities he'd taken part in.

The three of them were in it together – Carlisle's little minions. Emmett, Tanya and Edward. Who knew? Irina was probably in on it too before it came back to bite her in the ass.

"We're here," Edward finally said, pulling off the road and into a dirt driveway, leading to what looked like an abandoned shack. It had a security light out front and a huge cargo van parked by the door, but the rest of it was falling apart. The tin siding had rusted out years ago and was practically falling off, not to mention the roof that was damn near caving in on itself.

"Whoa," Tanya exclaimed when we climbed out. "Where'd you find this place?"

"Classifieds," Edward answered sarcastically. "Under the 'Abandoned Shacks to Hide People' listings."

I laughed, Tanya rolled her eyes. When we went inside, I really got a good idea as to how miserable my night was going to be. The entire space was dark, save one light that was set up in the middle of the room. Under this light sat a chair, and in the chair, sat Scott Jenks with a black hood over his face. To our immediate left was a set of stairs that led to a wooden platform above this level. Tanya beckoned me to follow her up there.

Edward sighed, gave me a kiss on the head and gestured for me to go with her. As I walked, I watched him put his hands in his pockets and take a few steps closer to Scott.

"Cocaine's a hell of a drug," Edward antagonized.

"Who's there? Who is that?" Scott demanded.

For someone who'd just gotten kidnapped and taken forty five minutes away from any major city or civilization, he seemed rather calm and collected about the whole thing. No jitters, no bouncy knees, no shaking.

"Don't worry about that right now," Edward continued. "You should be spending this time worrying about what the great state of Texas might do with the half kilo of illegal substances in your hotel room at the moment."

"H - How do you know that?" Scott stuttered.

"Oh, I have my sources," Edward continued. "I can have you prosecuted in a heart beat."

Scott laughed and shook his head. "Do you know who I am?"

"Scott Jason Jenks. Born September 4, 1978. Heir to the Dyco Tech fortune provided your grandfather keeps your best interests at heart. Graduated from Stanford, Magna Cum Laude, with the highest honors in Business and Marketing Advancement Technologies. So what happened, Scott? Why aren't you the CEO of Dyco Tech already?"

"What the hell is this all about?" Scott snorted. "Look, can you just take the hood off my head and talk to me face to face like a real man?"

"Where would be the fun in that?" Edward instantly teased. "Besides, you wouldn't know what a real man was if one hit you in the face."

Scott started to laugh.

But Edward would have none of that. So he hit him – _hard – _probably rebreaking the nose I'd just broken yesterday.

To be honest, it scared me too. I couldn't help the jump of my shoulders or the gasp that formed in the back of my throat.

Scott groaned and shouted, "FUCKING HELL!" at the top of his lungs. "What the hell was that for?"

But Edward had fire burning behind his eyes. He glared at Scott with this intensity that I'd never seen on him before. He despised him, hated him with a passion. "You're not the one calling the shots here. Try to remember that as we go forward," Edward explained, kneeling down in front of him.

"Listen, I don't know who you are or what you want from me, but consider it yours. Money, drugs, fame, you name it," Scott started.

"Shut up," Edward continued. "I don't want your money and I have no use for drugs."

"Then – what – what do you want?" Scott sputtered.

"An apology."

"What did I do?" Scott trembled.

Edward hit him again, this time much harder and faster than before.

"Fuck! Stop hitting me, damn it!" Scott screamed.

"I told you to shut up," Edward commanded. "I have this associate who's quite fond of connecting her car battery to men's testicles. She's got her own little she-woman man hating club going on. Does that sound like fun?"

Scott started laughing again. "What is this? Something out of a bad spy movie?"

"No . . ." Edward started, twisting something on to his fingers. I couldn't tell what it was from this high up, but when his fist connected with Scott's face again, I got an instant clue. Metal knuckles make a sound on flesh unlike any other. It was like a car accident, like metal on metal, scratching against each other – almost like nails on a chalkboard, but louder and more violent. Scott cried out in pain. "This isn't a movie. This is reality. Are you ready to cooperate, now?" Edward asked in a high-pitched voice, like he was talking to a child.

There was something different about Edward. He was in a trance, an altered state. Almost as if he was actually - _enjoying - _beating the snot out of a man who was tied up. I knew I should have felt repulsed by this, but the mild sting in the bridge of my nose everytime I breathed instantly reminded me why this was necessary. I was just going to have to suck it up.

"Christ almighty," Scott whined. "Tell me what I did. Tell me what I can do. Just stop!"

"That's the spirit," Edward teased. "Now, Scott, you talked about a real man – what a real man would and wouldn't do. From this, I'm assuming you meant more than just what, scientifically, makes a man a man. So, let me tell you a little story." Edward started circling around Scott with his hands behind his back. "Growing up, I had two cousins that came to live with me. They moved in pretty young, so they became more like my sisters in relationship. One day, the eldest of the two girls snapped the arms and the legs off my favorite GI Joe. I was so angry, I could have killed her. Instead, I pushed her out my second story window."

"What does this have to do with me?" Scott snorted.

Edward didn't answer, just hit him again, causing a yelp and a loud groan from Scott. "I told you to shut up. You talk again and I'll bring in the girl with the jumper cables."

"Who are you?" Scott mumbled, sounding like he was in much more pain that he had been before. "Can you at least tell me that?"

"No," Edward muttered. "You don't deserve to know, yet. Back to my story, do you know what my father told me after all that had happened?"

"What?" Scott sputtered.

"A real man only picks on people his own size," Edward finally said. "Women rarely, if ever, qualify for that category. But I was pissed, ya know? I thought she deserved it." Edward came back to the front of Scott and knelt again. "You mind telling me what made you lash out on Ms. Swan?"

"Is that what this is all about? Christ! Is that you, Cullen?"

Edward punched him again in the face; this time, knocking him so hard that the whole chair tipped over to the side. Scott, obviously handcuffed, fell over with it.

He whined and groaned immediately following the punch, but ultimately started laughing. "You hit me now, but you have no idea what's in store for you when we get back to Houston."

"Who says you're going back to Houston?" Edward murmured. "You assume too much, Scott. That's the problem with you – assume, assume, assume. You're a smart man, you should know better than that by now."

"That little bitch. She deserved it, ya' know?" Scott squealed. "She stole my job from me, stole my grandfather, stole my whole life. A slap back to reality was hardly enough to put her in her place."

"Is that why you decided to blackmail her anyway, regardless of what Eleazar told you to do?" Edward sputtered.

"Eleazar's only in it for the money. He's a punk."

"Tell me. How did it feel to wrap your pathetic fingers around her throat? How did you feel when you punched her and realized you'd fucked her face up so badly?"

"Like I'd done the world a favor. I should have just finished the job right then and there."

Edward laughed and stood, immediately smashing his foot right into Scott's stomach. After he'd done so, he flipped the chair back on its four feet and lifted the hood off Scott's head.

_Holy merciful shit!_

Scott looked like he'd been hit by a train. The entire right side of his face was swollen and bruised. His nose, definitely re-broken, was gushing – literally staining the entirety of his once white, tux shirt with blood. Despite the fact that he must have felt like hell, Scott looked up to his attacker and smiled. "I knew it was you," he whispered. "Where's the little slut?" Scott looked around and made eyes with me up on the higher deck. "Hey, you should come leash your animal before someone gets rabies."

I went to say something, but Tanya put her hand on my arm to stop me, shaking her head as if that wasn't the best idea in the world.

"You wanted a fight?" Edward started. "Now, you've got one – a fair one – and judging by what Bella did to your face, I dare say it's probably not going to be a long one."

"Fight? You're gonna fight me?" Scott repeated.

"I didn't hit you in the ear, right? So you're not deaf? Oh, wonderful. I thought I'd really fucked you up for a second," Edward snorted.

"It's hardly fair. I can't even see out of my right fucking eye," Scott replied.

"Then, apologize," Edward spat. "That's what this whole thing is about. Apologize, then get the hell out of my business."

"_Your _business? This isn't your business, none of this concerns you."

"Bella _is_ my business. Dyco Tech, after next month, will be my business. All of this concerns me," he continued. "In fact, you're my business as well. And you made yourself my business when I caught you snorting cocaine off Carmen Michael's tits last night."

Scott's face instantly dropped and twisted into a grimace. He knew he'd been caught. He knew he had nowhere else to go.

"I can't have a drug addict hanging around the board members of my company. You get caught, it makes you look bad, it makes everyone look bad. Sends the wrong message to the public, you understand," Edward explained. "So, here's what we're gonna do." He stood, took off his jacket and started rolling up his sleeves. "If you still have this irrational urge to destroy Ms. Swan, _her _company, or me, for some ridiculous reason, then have at it. I'll let you go and we can settle this like _real men_ right here and now. Otherwise, you take your drugs, you take your fiancée, who may or may not still want to be with you after this, and move away to some place quiet – remote. I'm thinking somewhere like Vermont or Montana."

"You leave Bree out of this," he threatened.

"Oh, no," Edward continued. "You mean to tell me that she didn't know about your little habit?"

Scott's eyes – er, one good eye - practically pierced holes through Edward.

"Well, maybe you should have thought about her back in Baltimore before you beat the shit out of my girlfriend," Edward instantly snapped. "I've already sent her the footage I have."

"You're bluffing," Scott smirked.

Edward looked up at me. "Hey, Bella. Throw me your phone."

I did as he asked and dropped my Blackberry off the side of the balcony. Edward caught it and brought it over to Scott, holding it in front of his face so he could see _exactly _how much Edward was bluffing. About thirty seconds into the footage, Scott groaned and shook his head.

"I told you, Scott. I learned to fight fair a long time ago. You fuck with my things, I fuck with yours. That's how real men take care of business," Edward retorted. "So what's it gonna be? You wanna go Brad Pitt in this abandoned shack that smells like horseshit? Or are you ready to say you're sorry and put an end to this terrible mess that you've created."

Scott was literally trembling by this point. Where he once seemed collected and prepared for anything, he now seemed terrified of what Edward would do to him next. Perhaps he even believed that Edward would bring in the girl with the jumper cables, even though I knew that was a bluff as well.

Scott shook his head and looked down to his lap. "I apologize for hitting Bella," he moaned.

"I'm sorry, Edward, for destroying something that wasn't mine to touch," Edward corrected.

Scott glared up at him.

"Say it," Edward commanded.

"I'm sorry for destroying something that wasn't mine to touch," Scott whispered.

"There ya' go!" Edward announced. "See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" He looked up to me and gestured I come down. Almost too shaken to move, I forced myself to descend the stairs and move over to the solitary chair under the light.

As I got closer, I realized just how fucked up Scott really was. Edward had done a number on him with just a few hits. Surely, Scott should be hospitalized, he might even need surgery. And, as much as I hated him, as much as I wanted him to just disappear off the face of the Earth, I couldn't help but pity him. In this moment, he seemed like a frightened little mouse cowering in the corner of a house full of cats.

"Now, tell the lady you're sorry," Edward demanded, pulling me closer to him. "Say, 'Bella, I'm sorry I hit you and tried to ruin your life. I deserved to get kicked in the face.'"

Scott smirked and glared up at me. "Bella," he groaned.

I nodded, but didn't feel any better about forgiving him.

"I'm sorry you're a little bitch and you got what was coming to you," he added.

I couldn't hold back anymore. Edward had certainly given him what he deserved and more, but I was the one who took that initial punch. I was the one who needed avenged. So, I reached out with all I could and punched him square across the nose – the same spot I'd kicked just a few days ago. It hurt. I'm not gonna act like this wasn't the first time I'd ever punched someone, because it was. The pain of hitting his skull shot up my arm, but I didn't even blink twice. When I pulled my hand back, I had blood splattered up to my wrist. But I didn't even give that a second thought.

"You both are dead, you hear me? You're both – so – so dead. I know people, too, Cullen. Evil people," Scott spat.

Edward smirked and looked up to Tanya, who was still standing on the balcony. "Go get your jumper cables, Cos," he teased.

Tanya squealed like a kid on Christmas morning and bolted down the stairs. "Yes!" she screamed. "I was afraid he was gonna be a pussy and just give in. It's a good thing I rented the F350, huh? Got the max heavy duty battery – good for long, lasting power."

"Wait, wait, wait," Scott continued. "I'm sorry, Bella."

"Aw, man," Tanya grunted. "Don't do that, Scott. Be a prick! Come on."

"For?" Edward instigated.

"For hitting you and destroying your life or whatever," Scott reiterated. "I deserved what happened here tonight."

"You see, what you fail to realize is that it was your own self destructive habits that kept you from – well – being me," I explained. "You think Jenks doesn't know about your drug addiction? You think you've been _that _good about keeping it a secret? You see, it all makes sense now. When you used to come to the board meetings all twitchy, pupils dilated, and sniffing like you'd gotten a cold – he knew. He may have turned a blind eye, hoping you'd grow out of it. But he knew. _That's_ why you don't get to be me."

Scott huffed and looked away. I didn't know if he was _really _hearing what I had to say or if he was just appeasing me. I didn't care in either case. But I did want him to understand the next thing off my lips, so I grabbed his chin and forced his face to look at me.

"I told you I'd have you murdered for what you did to me. You touch me again and I will. You try to blackmail me again and I will. It is in your best interest to disappear, Scott."

Scott said nothing in response. He just stared off into the abyss behind us, presumably at the wall. At this, Edward gestured to a guy standing in the corner who I hadn't even realized was there until just now. As a matter of fact, now that the excitement was all but over, there were at least three other people in here with us, none of whom I'd met before.

"Now, Scott," Edward started, taking a black piece of fabric from the Corner-guy. "Have you ever heard of an herb called the Indian Snakeroot?"

Scott didn't acknowledge him at all.

"No? Well, let me tell you a little about it. Originally, they used it to treat mental illness - ya' know, psychosis and the like. But as they continued their research, they found a number of different uses," Edward explained, pulling a little syringe out of the fabric and flicking it twice with his index finger. "One of which being a sedative." Edward jabbed the needle into Scott's shoulder. "It may also cause some permanent amnesia, if not given in the correct dosage." After he'd emptied the medication into Scott, he took a step back and handed the syringe to the Corner-guy. "So, sweet dreams and try to remember what we talked about in the morning."

Scott glared at Edward for a few seconds until his eyes rolled back in his head and he slumped over to the side. He was out like a god damned light.

"Clean him up," Edward grunted to the Corner-guy. "And put him on a plane back to New York. Make his room look – presentable – for his grandfather. You understand?"

Corner-guy nodded and turned to Scott, just as Edward grabbed hold of my hand and pulled me towards the door, gesturing for Tanya to follow along behind us.

"Well, this was a waste of time," she snorted once we'd gotten outside. "You never let me have any fun."

Edward smirked and shook his head as we hopped back in the Lincoln Continental and took off down the same dusty, dirt road that brought us here to begin with. I was sure I was still in shock. Part of me liked what I saw tonight. We didn't necessarily torture the guy, just – scared him, like Edward said we would do. And, honestly, he was right about one other thing as well. My opinion of him had changed drastically. He wasn't just my competitor anymore, and he definitely wasn't just my boyfriend. Edward had turned into my protector, my confidante, someone that no one in their right mind would mess with. And that, in turn, made _me _someone no one wanted to mess with.

I now knew that Edward had it in him to be evil, to be vengeful, to be down right cruel. He was dead serious when he turned around and told Tanya to grab the jumper cables. He would have let her do it. And, judging by her extreme disappointment in Scott's cooperation, this was something that she had done before, and something she'd do again if her cousin told her too.

This also told me something else about Edward. He was a man of duality. He could be loving and sweet and nurturing at times, but he could be violent and bloodthirsty when he needed to be. The man had balls of steel – which is probably why he was where he was, considering what he'd done in his lifetime.

"Did you see the way his face got all tense when you brought Bree into the conversation?" Tanya spoke up, ending the silent tension in the car. "What do you think he'll do when he finds out that you didn't send the video to her?"

"Tomorrow will be the best day of Scott's life," Edward started. "He'll wake up on a plane, only vaguely remembering what happened tonight, and worry about what she'll say when he gets there. He'll compromise with God to make this all go away, to forgive him of everything he's done to make her stay with him. He'll swear to never snort coke again, to never bother with us, to live a good, clean life. He may even mean it. And when he gets to her and realizes that she's as blissfully ignorant as she's ever been, he'll thank his lucky stars for keeping the best thing in his life from going to shit. His food will taste better, his wine sweeter. Their sex will be as it never has before."

"So, it may _seem_ like we fucked him up pretty bad, but he'll thank us for it down the road," Tanya teased.

I was still dumbstruck. I couldn't focus on anything. What we'd just done seemed so – _Casino. _It seemed like something only bad guys did to people. Did that make me a bad guy? Edward? Would this come back to bite me in the ass? Would I serve jail time for being an accomplice to extortion and torture?

Edward looked over and ran his finger down the side of my cheek. "You alright?"

I didn't answer, just nodded solemnly and returned to looking out the window.

The ride back to Houston was relatively silent.

When we did ultimately get there, Tanya hopped back in the driver's seat, I assumed to return the car. I tried my best to be as focused as possible, but all I could see was Edward's hand smashing against Scott's face, and the look of satisfaction for having done so. It haunted me. It was side of him that I'd never seen before, a side I'm sure most men had but never showed the love of their lives. It was mildly terrifying, in some respect. But, he was doing it to avenge me - to help me - so I couldn't feel _that _upset about it, could I? I was so confused.

Edward escorted me into the hotel the back way and up to my room. I couldn't help but be unusually quiet.

"Bella, you haven't said a word since we left the shack. What's the matter?" he whispered once we were in the elevator.

I shrugged. "Nothing, I guess. Just, how do you know Scott will keep his mouth shut? He might call the cops for what we did."

Edward smiled and shook his head. "Scott's been a habitual cocaine user for over two years, Bella. The last thing he needs is law enforcement. I doubt he'll call the police."

"But - what if he does?"

"Remember when you asked if I was going to be okay? That was the condition. He may. And if he does, I'll take the fall for it."

"Edward," I started. "I won't agree to that. You fall, I fall. That's how we work now."

He just smirked and opened the door to my suite for me once we'd gotten on my floor. "No. If I fall, you take over the company. If I don't fall, you still take over the company."

"But -" I started. I was trying to tell him that plan was probably something I no longer wanted.

"No but's," Edward interrupted, taking a few steps inside. "And he'll be fine, by the way. I was just teasing about the amnesia bit. Mind if I use your shower?"

I gestured toward the bathroom door. "It's all yours."

Smiling, he started unbuttoning his shirt and headed in that direction. All I could do was slump on the side of my bed and look down to my lap.

_Christ!_

What had I gotten myself into? The anxiety and stress of tonight was starting to catch up to me. Perhaps I was still in shock while it was going on, perhaps I was too focused on the action. But now that everything was said and done - I felt like I was literally going to self destruct any second. What I saw tonight was merely child's play compared to what Edward was really capable of. And how exactly did I feel about that?

After everything I'd been through in the last month, I was really starting to debate going any further with the merger. I had absolutely no desire to work for Carlisle whatsoever. Nor did I want to have his influence anywhere near Edward again. I knew the love of my life was a big boy and he was more than able to handle his father by himself, but I suddenly found this insatiable urge to protect him, to keep him from doing things like this in the future. No one had the power to do that except for me. And once I was made the CEO of the hybrid corporation, nothing would happen without my knowledge.

My goal became crystal clear.

I had to get us away from all of this - Get us away or get Carlisle out of the picture.

Suddenly, the bathroom door opened again and a soaking wet, naked Edward appeared through it.

"I thought for sure that you were going to follow me," he teased, walking closer to the bed. He knelt between my legs and looked up at me, shooting that crooked grin in my direction. Then, he looked down at my hand. He ran his fingers over my bruised knuckles and raised an eyebrow. "Is that blood?"

I nodded.

He took a deep breath and wrapped his palm over mine, trying to cover it from my sight somehow. "Come on, love. Let's wash that off," he cooed.

Standing, I let him lead me into the bathroom, push my dress to the floor and guide me into the shower.

I took a deep breath and looked around while he ran the washcloth over my hand gently. My knuckles were bruised from having punched Scott, but I couldn't even feel it anymore. All I could think about was how we'd royally fucked up tonight, how I was gonna lose everything I'd worked so hard to build for myself.

I tried to pull my feelings together while he bathed me, carefully and softly running the soap over my face and chest. He did the same for himself before hopping out and throwing a towel around his waist. By the time I'd dried myself off and followed him back into the red room, he was already laying in bed - naked. He tapped the space next to him and smiled, gesturing for me to join him.

Hardly sure of what to say, I crawled into bed and rolled away from him. It wasn't long before he came up behind me and wrapped an arm around my waist. "That freaked you out a little bit, didn't it?"

I solemnly nodded.

"You're worried about tonight," he continued.

I looked over my shoulder and nervously met his gaze with another nod.

"You shouldn't be. You did nothing wrong."

"How is it that you're not worried?" I anxiously whispered.

He shrugged and gave me a small sigh. "It's not in my nature to be worried about things like this."

"You have to stop," I retorted, rolling to my back. "You can't just do whatever Carlisle tells you to do for the rest of your life. Especially when it's something _like this._"

"Carlisle didn't order tonight. I did," Edward started. He climbed on top of me and pried my legs apart, settling in between them. "Besides, tonight was _nothing _like - well - tonight was the last time."

"Didn't you say that about the last person?"

"The last person didn't treat your face like a punching bag. This was - This was _personal,_" Edward mused, running his fingers lightly down the broken side of my face. "I knew this was going to change us, and now you know why I didn't want to tell you about it in the beginning. I mean," Edward shook his head. "who would actually _want _to love someone like me?"

"I didn't mean it like that," I added. "I - We have to get rid of Carlisle. He has to stop doing this to you. He has to stop putting you in these situations."

Edward chuckled and leaned up to kiss my cheek. "Carlisle's the only one protecting me."

"Not the only one," I mused.

"If I get caught, Carlisle's in good enough with the Fed's for them to release me. He won't let me be locked up for very long," Edward explained.

"What happens when we go public? Will he still protect you?"

"I'd like to think so," he continued.

"But you don't know. Did he tell you to seek revenge on Scott? Did he tell you to go easy on Eleazar?"

Edward sighed. "I already told you, Carlisle had _nothing _to do with tonight. This was my call."

"Right. So what will you do when he finds out about it? What will you do when he decides to stop protecting you?"

"He won't," Edward answered.

"How do you know?"

"He's my father, Bella. Blood's thicker than jail bars," Edward explained. He placed a gentle kiss on my knee cap and smiled. "I know you think he's a horrible man, and in some respects, he is. But when it comes to his children, Tanya and Irina included, he'd do anything to protect them."

"Oh," I snorted. "Like forcing them overseas to extort, rape and destroy the people who stand in his way? And I remember Tanya telling me something about your father not being too fond of his children prancing around with people he deemed unworthy."

"She told you that, huh?" Edward continued. "Look, I'm not saying he was right. There was a million different ways he could have gone about it. The man's not perfect. I'm just saying that, even though I was committing felony after felony, I knew Carlisle would stand by me no matter what. Stand by any of his children. You should have seen what he did to the man who was responsible for killing Irina."

"I thought you shot him."

"The man I shot wasn't the man behind the money, if you catch my drift," Edward explained. "It doesn't mean I like it. I doesn't mean I approve. It just is how it is."

I nodded and looked away, suddenly uneasy about all of this. Sure, Carlisle would protect his children to the hilt, but that didn't mean he was a good man. That didn't mean this would blow over the way Edward wanted it to. Scott was a snake, a bloodthirsty beast with no resemblance of a heart whatsoever. If he did seek his revenge, he would get it - by any recourse necessary. Perhaps the police would be willing to overlook his drug habit for information regarding the Cullens, Edward in particular.

"Let's just stop talking about all of that, huh?" he suggested. "I have other plans for my mouth." Then, he flashed that devious grin at me and slid down my body, flashing that feral look at me- the one that always sent chills down my back in the most enticing way. It seemed like ages ago that this all began as a playful strip tease in two office buildings. Now, here I was, writhing underneath him as my legs dragged up his back, all too willing to submit to his demands.

His lips slid down my body, caressing my neck and the top of my chest with delicate, sinful kisses. That bronze head then drifted lower south and, the next thing I knew, his mouth was wrapped around my clit in extraordinary bliss. Say what you will about his past, the man was a master when it came to getting me off. His fingers slid in and out of me with expert precision, and the only recourse for me was to grab a pillow and smash it over my face to keep from screaming. He sucked and licked and nibbled, and I grabbed a fistful of his wet hair to coerce him forward. It felt - it felt astounding. I was melting into him, urging him to continue, begging him to make me forget about everything else.

Here was a man who was capable of bringing the mighty to their knees, capable of seducing anything he wanted out of anybody, and I'd managed to bewitch _him _somehow. I'd managed to bring _him_ to his knees. The thought made me feel even more turned on. I could feel myself getting so wet around his fingers, so desperate for him to fuck me. I almost couldn't take it any longer. I pulled his head toward my face. "Make love to me, Edward," I moaned into his lips.

And he didn't miss a beat. Without so much as a passing glance, his lips connected with mine and he pushed inside of me, stretching me with an insane intensity. I'd never felt closer to him. We'd fucked hundreds of times by now, and, even though I _knew _about his past, I hadn't stood witness to the allegation.

Now, I knew him - inside and out. Knew his fears and insecurities, knew that he saw himself incapable of being loved - and that made me love him even more, made me feel more connected to him. I pushed my pelvis up to meet his with each thrust into me. I wanted him deeper, harder. I wanted all of him.

He was slow and passionate, running his fingers over me like any wrong move would cause me pain. He simply wouldn't do that to me.

It was hard to keep my eyes open, I was in such an elevated state. His cock pushed on my G-Spot and I knew I was about to explode any second.

"Come with me," I murmured.

He didn't answer, just nodded his head and pressed his lips to mine again. My orgasm rushed over me with sinful bliss, absolutely pure and delightful. His face tightened and his cock twitched inside of me, letting me know he'd reached his own climax as well. I relished in these small moments with him. We didn't come together all of the time, but when we did, it was magical - like fucking Disney World and shit.

After we'd breathed down the intensity of our climax, I rolled to my side and closed my eyes. I was fighting sleep in the fiercest way.

"You shouldn't worry about anything," he started, kissing my shoulder. "Once you're in charge, none of this has to happen anymore. You'll be untouchable." He danced his fingers down the side of my waist.

The last thing I remember saying to him was, "That's not what I want anymore. All I want is you."

Then, that was it. Darkness. Nothingness. The ignorant bliss of sleep.

The next morning, I woke up alone next to a note.

_"I couldn't bare to wake you. _

_See you in a few hours. _

_All my love, _

_The Spy." _

_**A/N: **I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading. Please check out my blog, link on my profile. _


	26. Letting Go

**A/N: The songs for this chapter are "Lonely Is The Night," by Billy Squire, "Evil" by Jace Everett, and "Panama" by Van Halen.**

Chapter 26

Letting Go

It took a few minutes for the events of last night to come rushing back to me. Would Scott rat us out? Would he show his face to Jenks, thus giving my boss proof that we'd beat the shit out of him? Would everything come crashing down around me?

Not entirely sure of anything anymore, I climbed out of bed and dressed in something suitable. Today, that felt like long dress pants, purple heels and a black jacket tailored to fit me perfectly.

As soon as I'd met Jenks at the convention booth, I instantly felt better. He mentioned something about Scott being mixed up with the "wrong sort" and taking a plane back to New York City, and I knew that Edward's plan was working exactly to our liking. Something inside switched. Instead of feeling nervous about a possible dark and somber future, the clouds parted to reveal a glorious, radiant dawn that was breaking anew. Edward and I were that much closer to our happily ever after - if that was indeed where we were headed. The last hurdle would be Las Vegas, and once we made it through that, we were scot-free. At least that's what I kept telling myself. In retrospect, Las Vegas would only be the straw that broke the camel's back.

The note he left on my pillow implied that we would see each other at the press conference, the way we had been doing for the past two weeks that we were on this convention tour. Imagine my surprise when I stepped on stage at the Houston Convention Center only to see Carlisle Cullen sitting where my honey was supposed to be. My bright and sunny disposition instantly faded away.

Slowly placing one foot in front of the other, I crossed the stage and sat down next to him. His head immediately turned in my direction, to which I greeted with a small and timid smile.

"Good morning, Ms. Swan," he cooed with a twist of his lips

"Good morning, Mr. Cullen," I responded. "Funny I should see you here."

He chuckled and straightened the array of papers on the table in front of him. "I suppose you were expecting Edward," he murmured. "He's - indisposed - for the time being."

I chose not to dignify his apparent vagueness with a response, opting instead to direct my attention to the audience. The show went on around me. The announcer announced, the reporters reported, and Carlisle, snake that he was, charmed the crowd into a tizzy. All I could think about was how Edward was probably bailing out on me. He'd strung me along like a puppet, making me fill the role he deemed fit for me. I'd come out looking like the weak one in the end.

_No,_ my subconscious demanded. _No, he wouldn't do that to me._

I forced myself to believe that. As hard as it was to trust him in the beginning, I'd given myself to him completely. And he'd told me he loved me, he'd meant it. Surely, he wouldn't leave me hanging now. Surely, he couldn't do that.

So then where the hell was he? Had Scott paid someone to return the favor from last night? Did Carlisle figure out what happened? Was he keeping him locked away in a hotel room somewhere?

Then, the media attention ultimately fell to me, and I couldn't think about it anymore. Eleazar Michael was the first to pounce - claws flared and eyes beaming.

"Ms. Swan, still no response to the allegations of an affair between you and Mr. Edward Cullen?" he hissed.

Carlisle laughed.

"Mr. Michael," I started. "Surely you know better than to be redundant in your writing. Your rules in life should follow those for prose."

"Well enough. Speaking of Mr. Cullen, why is he not present here today?"

"I am not his keeper," I instantly retorted.

"Pity. I would have liked to know what he had to say on this rather thought provoking subject," Eleazar said pointedly.

"My love life is none of your business, nor is it a thought provoking sub-" I started.

"I wasn't talking about your personal affairs, Ms. Swan," Eleazar interrupted. "I was referring to this contract that I have in my hands, suggesting Dyco Tech and Cullen Inc are in talks for a merger. Perhaps you or the former CEO, Mr. Cullen, could shed some more light on this subject." He reached into his pocket and pulled out an exact replica of the preliminary paperwork that Jenks had signed in Baltimore.

The entire crowd gasped.

Cue the head rush.

Suddenly, I was speechless. I had nothing. I wasn't prepared for this. My breathing hitched and my palms grew sweaty. Here it was - the fallout I was waiting for. This was why Edward was absent. This was why I was alone on this stage with Carlisle. But I knew I couldn't sit here like an idiot. I had to say something.

So I opened my mouth and out poured, "Excuse me?" I knew I could only do one of two things - confirm it or deny it. There was no other option for me. I couldn't weasel my way around this one the way I had with my personal life because he was holding the evidence right there in his hand. "Let me see that," I choked.

"Uh - no. I'm afraid I can't do that, Ms. Swan. I might never see it again," he teased.

All I could think was, _"How dare he!" _

After everything we'd agreed to last night, how could Eleazar do this? And where in the hell did he get that information? Jenks? Scott? _Edward?_

But, then again, I assumed Eleazar had every right to do what he wanted with it. We hadn't reached any agreement about the merger last night - in fact, we'd only briefly dusted over it.

Eleazar's voice filled my head. _"Isn't there a merger planned? Isn't that what Scott said? _ _In fact, where is Scott? -_" classic reporter misdirection.

_Fuck! Fuck, Fuck, Fuck!_

"This is clearly a confidential contract signed by Mr. Jason Jenks and Mr. Carlisle Cullen," Eleazar continued, breaking me from my trance. "Forgive me, Ms. Swan. This is perhaps a question better fielded to the gentleman on your right. Mr. Cullen, any comments?"

God damn it! Was nothing sacred anymore?

Carlisle spoke up. "It's true," he said modestly. "The contract you hold is valid. Jenks and I signed it a few days ago, but we were planning on breaking the news at a more suitable opportunity. Trust your highly developed investigative skills to unload it sooner than necessary."

My jaw almost hit the floor. What the fuck was he doing?

We weren't going to go public with this. We were supposed to wait until we got back to New York.  
We were supposed to wait until we got approval from the board. And here he sat confirming everything. I immediately looked for Jenks or Alice or somebody for help. My assistant shrugged and shook her head, obviously not knowing what to tell me to do.

Should I confirm it? Should I deny it?

Edward had set me up. He knew this was coming. He knew Eleazar would turn to this - and he bailed. He left me to stand on my own.

_No! _my subconscious screamed again. _Stop talking like that. There's good a reason why he's not here._

"It's true," I murmured into the microphone. "Jason Jenks is retiring at the end of this fiscal year. He's chosen to sell his shares of Dyco Tech to Cullen Incorporated; more to be revealed as details become available." I shot Eleazar a glare that suggested I'd have his balls nailed to my wall within the hour and stormed offstage, despite the media frenzy that immediately burst from the crowd. Carlisle said a few simple words before trailing backstage behind me.

"What the hell was that?" I yelled, staring him dead in the eyes. "I thought we were waiting until New York to confirm the merger!"

"And I thought, as did your Mr. Jenks, that you and Edward understood the rules," he calmly replied. When the look on my face suggested confusion, he continued. "You and Edward are going public tomorrow night, are you not?"

"That's none of your business," I snorted.

"Don't flatter yourself. All of this is my business. Come November, Dyco Tech and everything that goes on inside are my business - that includes you," he retorted. "And Edward has always been my business." His eyes were fierce, gleaming with an intensity I'd only ever seen on one other person. (Guess who?) "I told you on the plane - this nonsense between you and my son was over."

"Where is he?" I snapped, taking a few more steps toward Carlisle.

"Bella," Alice interrupted. "Bella, stop." She grabbed onto my shoulders, but I persisted nonetheless, shrugging her hands off me.

Carlisle's back stiffened as he adjusted the collar around his jacket. "Why would I tell you? If he wanted you to know where he was, I'm sure he'd find some way of letting you know, would he not?" Carlisle turned to walk away, but I grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Bella!" Jasper insisted.

"Why are you so afraid of us being together?" I took a few steps closer to him for emphasis. "Is it because you'll have someone just as powerful as you are in the family, or is it because he won't be your little monkey boy anymore?"

His eyes widened as he turned to look back at me.

"Oh, that's right. I know. I know everything," I murmured. "And you can bet your sweet ass that once _I'm_ in charge, things like that won't be condoned. You understand?"

"Let go of me, Ms. Swan," he said calmly, much more calmly than I had provoked. "Why do you suppose it was me sitting on that stage today? Edward's never done anything he didn't want to do. Food for thought."

I had to admit. That stung. It was bad that I thought these things originally, but now that he was rubbing salt in my self inflicted wounds, I couldn't help but unleash the fury nestling inside my gut. "Then why the hell did he want me to take over as CEO? Never done anything he didn't want to do? It sounds like he's been trying to get away from you for years now," I snapped.

"Bella," Alice murmured once more. "Bella, calm down."

"Where is he?" I demanded again, this time with more power and emphasis.

"Do yourself a favor," Carlisle muttered. "Forget about him, huh?" He gave me a small wink, forced my hand from his arm and took off toward the corridor.

I was bordering on hysterics. It was only after Carlisle had turned to walk away from me that I remembered where I was. Hundreds of eyes peered in on my little fit. I couldn't help the tears that immediately flooded my eyes. My life was literally crumbing where I stood.

Alice wrapped her arms around my shoulders and escorted me through the hotel back to my room. Once we were in the security of my suite, I reached for my cellphone and immediately dialed his number. It went straight to voicemail.

My voice shaky, I managed to leave Edward a message - hell, anything I could muster. "I hope you saw that train wreck on CNN today," I started. "Don't listen to Carlisle. We'll get through this." I looked up to Alice and Jasper, who were both staring down at me with sympathy. It was like they knew something I didn't. Deciding to end the call as quickly as possible, I muttered, "Call me back. I - I love you," and hung up.

"What?" I blurted to both of them.

Alice came over and sat down next to me, wrapping her hand around my tenderly. "Honey, you know I love you, right?"

"Yeah, of course. Why?" I scrunched my face toward her in confusion. "What are you getting at?"

"You're losing it," she continued.

"Alice, I don't need this right now," I protested.

"I'm serious," she retorted. "You're staying up all night, you're almost never ready before I am anymore. But worse than that, you're unsure of yourself, especially with the media. Christ, Bella, you were stunned stupid on that stage, and -"

I cut her off, standing to pace in front of the TV. "Alright, I get it."

"And arguing with Carlisle behind the set of a press conference like that? Bella!" she chastised. "Not smart. _After, _I might add, _AFTER _you just announced a merger with him."

I shook my head and squared my jaw for the assault. She was tearing me in two, but she had a point - a very good point. "And just what would you suggest I do?"

Shrugging, she shook her head and looked to Jasper.

Before we could argue anymore about it, my phone started ringing. Eyeing them both incredulously, I grabbed my phone to see who it was. Though I wanted desperately for the caller ID to read "The Spy", it read "J. Jenks" instead and I knew I was in deep shit.

"Jenks," I greeted.

"Swan," he answered in his typical apathetic tone.

"I take it you saw the news?" I continued.

"Of course," he replied. I was expecting an onslaught. What I got instead was a little more surprising. "Scott was the one who planted it with Eleazar."

"What?" I murmured. My jaw almost hit the floor. "Why would he do a thing like that?"

"Scott's – well – he's confused about what's best for him. Surely, you understand," he explained.

"How long have you known this was going to happen?"

"A day or so. There's not much I don't know," he continued.

"And you didn't tell me? You didn't prepare me?"

"I should ask you the same thing. Have I ever given you a reason not to trust me with the most precious of situations?"

"Not that I can recall," I somberly replied.

"Then why did you feel that you had to keep your affair a secret?"

"Would you have condoned such a thing?"

"That's not the point," he roared. His tone grew angry, forceful. I'd really upset him by continuing this affair with Edward. "Isabella, you've made a mockery of this company, my reputation and my judgement. I could have chosen anybody as my replacement, people were plotting against each other for the mere consideration. I chose you based on several factors, none of which being your propensity to think irrationally."

"I understand," I added. "Jenks, I – I love him."

He sighed with an air of forgiveness. "I am sorry to hear that. You should have told me earlier. Would I have understood, of course. Would I have condoned it, we'll never know now, will we? You must understand the frustration and embarrassment I felt when Scott showed me those photos, Isabella."

At this point, I knew I was no longer talking to the CEO who had hired me to replace him. I was now speaking to the gentle and kind man who'd originally shown me the ropes at Dyco Tech, the man who'd taken me under his wing and seen in me a successor he'd never had but always wanted.

Jenks continued. "I know you're lonely, that you have been for a long time." His tone broke into a strange mix of sympathy and compassion, something I'd never heard from him before. "I know the incompetency you see in most men. I know how you must see him as your equal, and I believe that, if things were the slightest bit different, I'd be in full support of your relationship."

This sentiment almost warmed my heart - _almost._

"But -" he started. "But things being what they are, I must stand my ground. I had to allow the news about the merger to be made public before it could be insinuated that the companies came together due to your lack of personal restraint. I've spoken to the board. They're in full support of this merger."

I thought about lashing out for a moment. "You spoke to them without me there? Why – why wouldn't you include me? This is my company now, Jenks."

"Your head is elsewhere, Isabella. It has been for the past few days. You could use the break."

There was so much he didn't understand, so much he didn't know about the Cullens, so much that I had learned in such a short amount of time.

"I know you'll always do what's best for you," he continued. "It's how you've gotten to be where you are today at such a young age. I've seen the way you look at him, the way he looks at you." Jenks laughed and took a deep breath. "It reminds me of myself many years ago."

Suddenly, I didn't know where he was heading with this. Part of me thought he was going to chastise me for directly disobeying him. The beginning of the call sounded remotely disciplinary. But this - this sounded like he was trying to tell me to follow my heart. "Jenks, I - I'm not sure what you're trying to say."

He chuckled. "The time will come, sooner rather than later, when you'll need to make the choice between your position in this company and your position in his life. You won't be able to have both."

"Why not?" I instantly answered.

"Because I've been there. Because I know what it's like to choose between your personal life and that of your profession."

"What did you chose?"

"You've met my wife, Isabella. What do you think?" He chuckled deeply before continuing. "Was it the right choice? Maybe, maybe not. Would I have been happier had I chose the opposite? Perhaps." Jenks paused, as if losing himself in thought.

"I'll keep that in mind," I finally added.

Jenks came back to the conversation. "I'm heading on to Las Vegas early. The wife likes wasting my money at the slots, and Texas bores the hell out of me. Will you be okay at the banquet tonight?"

"Yes sir, I believe so."

He hummed in agreement and hung up without so much as another word.

"What was that all about?" Alice asked.

I told her what Jenks had relayed to me and apologized for my outburst earlier. After some room service lunch and several hours of trying to decide what to do next, Alice and Jasper headed back to their suite to get ready for dinner. I hopped in the shower to do the same.

As I ran my fingers over my hair under the water, my thoughts ran to Edward again. Where could he have run off to? Why hadn't he called or spoken to me today? Was there any truth to what Carlisle said? Why wouldn't he want to see me? What could I have done to provoke this?

Carlisle probably sent him on another _errand - _an errand he said he would no longer agree to committing. But why hadn't he at least sent a text to say so?

Maybe Scott had caught up to him. Maybe Scott sent someone to return the favor. My face throbbed at the thought. It hadn't hurt all day, but that was probably because I hadn't thought about it until now.

Maybe he really was fed up with it all. Maybe he'd decided that a personal life with me wasn't worth what he would gain professionally without me.

The thought almost broke me in two. How would I go on without him? How would I make it through Monday morning and the release of our big news? How could I stand against the press without his strength and quick thinking to back me up? How would I convince everyone that the pictures, over a week old at that point, were now considered invalid, and that my Romeo had run off to banishment without me?

What had I said? What had I done? Why did I deserve his silence?

Maybe I'd unintentionally pissed him off somehow. Maybe he did listen to his father.

Maybe, maybe, _maybe._

There were a thousand maybes.

Even while lost in thought, I'd managed to slink myself into a cute little black number and heels, elegantly twisting my hair into a barrette behind my head. I sat on the edge of my bed and stared at the wall, all the while trying to figure out where he was or why he seemed to be avoiding me. I must have checked my phone a hundred times since I'd gotten out of the shower – not so much as a new email.

Suddenly, there was a loud knock at the door. My heart almost did a somersault until I heard Alice yell from the other side. "Bella, my love. We're gonna be late. Are you ready?"

I couldn't help the extreme let down I immediately felt.

They escorted me downstairs via elevator, and once we were there, we took our seats at the Dyco Tech table. Alice and Jasper commented on the people in attendance, and though I smiled and chuckled at their jokes, I couldn't help but keep my eyes peeled and my wits about me.

_He would show up for dinner, _I hoped. _He just had to._

Rose arrived at the table, escorted by Royce King, her partner at our subsidiary.

"Hello, all," she cooed, taking her seat.

"Hi, Rose," Jasper and Alice said.

I didn't respond. I kept my eyes glued to the empty Cullen table. So far, no one had arrived, save the market executive, who I'd yet to meet, and their public relations manager. I was practically staring holes through the table linen.

_Any second now, _I thought to myself. _Any second he'll walk over to that chair and sit down. Any second I'll feel his eyes on me, that shudder down my back, that faithful confidence that I lived for him and his eyes only. _

But where was he? When would he come?

Someone had come over and sat down on the other side of me, but I couldn't take my eyes off that damned table.

"Bella!" Alice announced, shaking me from my stupor.

"Huh?" I blurted, coming back to reality.

"Mr. Dean -"

"Will," he corrected.

"Will," Alice said gently. "Will was talking to you."

I smiled and turned toward the British investment tycoon. "Good evening," I greeted.

"Isabella," he cooed, his ice cold stare cutting through me. "How have you been?"

"Fine, how about you?"

"Quite well, thank you," he whispered. Suddenly, the lights dimmed and I realized how long I had been staring absentmindedly. The show was about to start and neither Carlisle or Edward had shown up to give their presentation.

Will reached over to my lap and squeezed my hand as the Master of Ceremonies began his speech. Leaning closer to my ear, he brushed my hair aside and whispered, "I know you're a busy woman, and I know that your birthday must be scheduled from dawn to dusk. But if there is a way you could set a little time aside for me, you would not regret it."

His charm was quite flattering, all things considered, but I didn't have the patience for it any longer. I smiled, replied, "We shall see," and looked back over to the stage. Before long, the announcer introduced my name and Dyco Tech's reputation, and I took the stage.

Regardless of Edward's absence and the immense throbbing in my face from the romp with Scott, I did fantastic. The crowd laughed with me and seemed entrenched in my presentation. Even though I was mixed up in a media frenzy at the moment, every person in the room kept it professional. The Cullen table was still empty.

Then, the announcer came back on and said there would be a small change in the schedule. Instead of Edward Cullen, the CEO of Cullen Inc, it would be Benjamin Jones, their Public Relations executive, that would take the presentation from here.

At this, I stood and excused myself to the "bathroom." In reality, I was headed to the front desk for some information. I'd had enough of this shit. He didn't show up for the press conference, he hadn't so much as texted me all day, and now he'd missed the banquet. I had this deep foreboding feeling in the pit of my stomach that wouldn't or couldn't go away. I felt like something bad was either about to happen, or already had. If he simply had slept the day away, that was fine – but I had to know. I just _had _to.

After looking around the room for several moments, I spotted him – my newest informant, and he hadn't a clue how much he would help me. I walked up to the good looking, young boy running the front desk and smiled sincerely.

"Hello, Ms. Swan, what can I do for ya' this evenin'?" he greeted in a deep, Texan accent.

"Hello, – Jonathan," I responded in a silly tone, looking down at his name tag. "I've got a special request for you."

"Sure," he answered. "What can I do ya' for?"

"Well," I looked around to make sure that the conversation we were about to have was going to stay between us. "Surely you can appreciate generosity when the time should arise."

"M'am?" he asked, seeming generally confused and with good reason.

"And you might even consider yourself generous on occasion as well," I teased.

"Perhaps. I don't understand what you mean, M'am," he explained.

I pulled three hundred dollars from my wallet and placed it on the counter between us. "Mr. _Edward_ Cullen – what room is he staying in?"

Jonathan's inquisitive brown eyes looked between me and the cash. Without so much as peep, he stashed the money in his pocket and clicked away on his keyboard. "How generous of you," he whispered.

I nodded and gave him my most genuine smile possible.

"Mr. _Edward _Cullen is staying in suite 1679," Jonathan announced. "But you didn't hear that from me."

"Of course not, and I appreciate your discretion on this matter," I responded with a wink. I turned, walked to the elevators, entered and took the lift to floor sixteen. Walking down the hall, I _accidentally _ran into the maid changing the linens in room 1601. After I swiped the card out of the pocket on the front of her dress, I walked to Edward's room and contemplated if this was something I really wanted to do.

He had avoided me for some reason – and I'm sure whatever reason that was made sense to him.

He'd only ever wanted the best for me, to keep me safe, to keep me in my position, to keep me from getting fired. What if he'd decided _this_ was the best for me?

_Fuck it._

I'd never let a man make decisions for me, or anyone else for that matter, why should I start now?

I slid the card into the door, opened it and walked inside.

Like their table at the banquet, the room was completely empty, as if the hotel was expecting another guest any second. The bed was dressed, the drawers and closets bare, and no signs of personal items in the bathroom. No tooth brush, hair brush, soaps, etc.

I looked around absent mindedly, half distraught and half praying that he'd magically appear in front of my eyes.

Why was he doing this to me? Why couldn't I focus on anything besides his ginormous absence?

My only saving hope was that I could smell his cologne and that fact told me that he hadn't been gone for very long. He had been here for most of the day. He'd left recently – recently enough for me to sense the lingering effects of his very distinct scent. I took a deep breath, inhaled the heavenly aroma I'd come to adore and slowly backed out of the suite.

I half expected him to be standing there when the door closed behind me.

Needless to say, I was alone – accompanied only by the maid who seemed to be tearing her cart apart, presumably looking for her card.

I headed back to the elevator, dropped the card on the floor in the corner and made my way back to my suite.

My heart jumped at the thought that he might be there waiting for me, having done the same stealthy swipe of a maid's card as I'd just performed.

Never the less, I was alone when I got there as well. My heart literally dropped into my gut.

I was about to flip out when something stopped me. He _had _been here as well – and recently at that. I could smell his sweet, manly scent in my suite. I'd just missed him.

_Damn it! Damn it, damn it, damn it!_

But why? Why had he come here at all? If he was planning on avoiding me, for whatever reason, why had he even bothered?

In utter frustration, I tore my shoes off my feet, threw them at my luggage and dug through my purse for my phone. I dialed his number, only to be more pissed off when it went directly to voicemail.

"Just so you know," I started. "I kicked your ass at the banquet tonight." I thought about hanging up, but something inside of me wanted him to know I'd gone looking for him, came up empty handed and nonplussed – and that I knew he'd come looking for me as well. "And you should wear a less pungent cologne. Love it though I may, I can smell you in my suite. Which means one of two things – it's been lingering since last night, which I doubt, or you've been here since I left. In either case, I miss your voice. Please call me."

With that, I tore my dress over my head and collapsed in my bed.

After shuffling under the covers, I picked up the TV remote and flipped through the TV channels until I found CNN. On one half of the screen was a replay of what happened this morning downstairs, and on the other, a stuck up redhead named Susanne Snavely was shaking her head disapprovingly. "She just looks clueless up there, like she has no idea what is going on. Michael Eleazar absolutely stumped her," Susanne snorted.

"And the appearance of Cullen Inc's former CEO on stage is concerning as well. If they were going to make a unified show, why wasn't Jason Jenks the one on stage?" The blond male to her right asked, Branson Jones. "Or Edward Cullen for that matter?"

"Because she's the powerhouse," Susanne added. "Jenks laid the foundation and the framing for this corporation, but she's the one keeping it all together, keeping it all running smoothly. Anyone who has spent any time following these two companies knows that the main reason Dyco Tech has stayed number one over Cullen Inc was because of Isabella Swan. That's why she's up there. She's the one in charge. I bet this whole thing was her idea to begin with."

"You'd lose that one, honey," I snorted to myself.

"But here," Branson protested. "Here we see a total lack of knowledge. It's very evident that she had no idea the media outing was coming. And, evidently, Carlisle did."

"Well, I'm not so sure about that Branson," she argued. "He's got twenty years of dealing with the media under his belt. Look at his face when Eleazar first asks the question. He looks as stunned as she does."

I then turned the channel to Fox News, where there were three more reporters arguing.

"But that's not to say this is a bad thing," the moron on the right said.

"Not at all," the blond jackass agreed. "The merger sounds like a great idea to me. It gets people excited. It gets people involved in our economy again."

Then, I switched to E!

"Okay," the announcer said. "Let's go to our poll. Are they or aren't they? Adorable Tech Industry CEO, Edward Cullen, and his equally as sexy female counterpart, Dyco Tech CEO, Isabella Swan. Let's go to the streets where Melissa Kensington has the report."

The view zoomed into a brunette standing outside in New York. "Known to world as two of the youngest CEOs of any corporation, Edward Cullen and Isabella Swan have it all. Looks, fame, power and tons of money. Anything and everything is at their beckon call."

Suddenly, pictures of Edward shot up on the screen, followed by paparazzi shots of me.

"The only problem? Their companies were sworn enemies. Up until today, former CEOs Carlisle Cullen of Cullen Inc and Jason Jenks of Dyco Tech held a bitter feud that forced a severe divide between the two organizations." Then, they played some old footage of the two in interviews and answering questions. "In late 2007, Jenks revealed his plans to retire and shocked the world by announcing Isabella Swan as his successor. In a matter of months, she became the wealthiest female CEO in the world." Then, they flashed some of those damned Maxims pictures. "In July, Carlisle followed suit, passing his title down to his son, Edward.

"With only two months under his belt, this Wallstreet hottie has managed to break through any and all remaining walls around Dyco Tech, as the merger of the two companies hit the newsstands today. But what about those walls around its notoriously private CEO's heart? Well, brace yourself America. The two hottest CEO's this country has ever known might just be off the market. Sources say that these two spent nearly every night together last month at _Fuego, _a VIP nightclub in Manhatten."

I sighed at the blatant lie.

"It is reported that they've been sharing rooms together on their convention tour, though neither side can be reached for comment. When asked, both parties remain extremely hush hush." The view changed from pictures and footage of Edward and I to the girl standing on the street again. "Edward Cullen and Isabella Swan, are they or aren't they? What do you think?" she asked two girls standing next to her.

"They're doing it!" the girls shouted simultaneously.

Melissa started laughing.

"Though, he could do a lot better," one girl said.

"Pft!" the other one chimed in. "So could she. My advice, Ms. Swan, get back together with that British piece of meat, William Dean. Cuz - uh - Damn!" she teased.

"The lucky bitch, right?" the first girl snorted.

The shot cut to two guys standing next to Melissa, the E! reporter.

"Are they or aren't they?" she chirped.

"Well -" one guy started. "If they aren't, my name is Mike - Miss Bella, come find me."

I shook my head and laughed.

"Yeah, Edward - if you're not already, take a cue from the rumors and jump on that - Feel me?"

The shot cut to someone else, a college aged redhead.

"Are they or aren't they?" Melissa asked.

"The proof's in the picture." The redhead held up the picture in question, one of us in Boston sitting at the press conference. "Their bodies are tilted toward each other. All of the other people on stage are sitting much farther apart than they are. And look at her smile - that's the 'I'm getting twiddled under the table' smile."

Melissa, the reporter, started laughing hysterically and pulled the microphone back from the giggling woman.

It was sad - sad because it was true. This random girl had my fucking number.

"Are they or aren't they?" the reporter asked someone else.

"Why would they be that stupid? Aren't they enemies? That would be like if Coke and Pepsi got together, it's just blasphemy," the guy said before continuing on his way.

"Are they or aren't they?" Melissa asked the next person. As soon as I saw him, I sat straight up in bed.

It was Jake.

Oh My Fucking God!

It was Jake. _On E!_

"Oh, please, honey," he snorted. "I happen to know the real story here, and it's not what you think."

"Oh really?" Melissa cut in. "What's the real story?"

"Yeah, they're both fucking me."

Melissa started laughing again. "Together?"

"What?"

"Together? Are they - Are they fucking you together?"

"Every other night and twice on Tuesday." He rolled his eyes and, in typical Jake fashion, sauntered away from the reporter. I couldn't stop laughing. That man just had the most uncanny ability to show up in the most random places.

The brunette turned back to the camera. "Well, there you have it, America. Are they or aren't they? We don't know for sure. But every other night, and twice on Tuesday, I'm camping out at _that guys _house for the real scoop."

Ugh!

I turned the TV off and drifted to sleep.

Fuck the media!

The next morning, Alice woke me for our flight at 6 am. We were headed to Las Vegas early for the conventions of all conventions. The shitty thing about this particular event was that there was no travel day between the two, no time to decompress and prepare for the next subject matter. In Texas, we were debuting our latest solar energy technology and in Las Vegas, we would be showing off the latest in security. I was scheduled to be at the press conference at eleven am today in the Palms Casino conference center. After this, I'd have a convention in Los Angeles and New York, then it'd be all over and the media could piss off.

Although, and it hadn't occurred me to until this point, LA and NY were the most media infested cities in America. If I thought I'd had it hard until now – HAH! – I most definitely had another thing coming.

"Good morning, Birthday Girl," Alice cooed, shoving a cupcake in my face when I'd opened the door for her.

"Aww, thank you," I grumbled. "Nothing like a diabetic coma first thing in the morning."

"Hey!" she protested. "A double chocolate chip chocolate cupcake with chocolate icing and chocolate candles is worth the diabetic coma."

I laughed, took the cupcake from her and blew out the candle. "Make a wish," she mused with a small smile.

"I did," I confirmed.

"No, he's still not here -" she teased, almost as if she could read my mind.

And she could.

Of course, I wished for Edward.

I placed the cupcake on my bedside table and smiled. "He told me he would be," I whispered, packing the last of my things into my luggage. "He – he promised."

"He's a man," Alice explained, plopping down on my bed while I finished.

"Doesn't excuse it," I added.

She nodded and crossed her hands over her lap. "I have to ask you to do something."

"What?"

"I need you to take a different flight. No questions asked."

"What? Why?" I asked, starting to change into my business suit.

"I said no questions asked."

"Alice, what are you talking about?"

"I learned something last night, something you need to hear straight from the horse's mouth. He's willing to meet with you privately to discuss the matter, but I can't say any more than that."

I squinted my eyes at her. "What did you find out?"

"Bella, it really is best if you go along with this. I can't really explain it," she explained.

"What flight is it?"

"A private one." She smiled and stood to wrap her arms around my shoulders, giving me a kiss on the cheek as she hugged me tightly. She shot me a wink and gestured toward the door. "We'd better be going."

"Alice," I groaned. "What's going on?"

"Don't forget your cupcake!" she shouted from the hallway.

I gathered the rest of my things and headed out after her. As much as I persisted, she continued to change the subject on me.

"Alice, please tell me," I begged once we reached the airport.

"I can't!" she exclaimed. "I really think it's best if you hear it from him. It's not Edward, so don't get all excited. But you should really wait and see." We got out of the limo and she handed me my ticket.

"Can you at least tell me who it is I'm meeting with?"

"It's someone you know."

"Jenks? Carlisle?"

"No, and no."

"C'mon. You're my assistant. You're supposed to prepare me for the world. How is this preparing me?"

"Nothing I could say or do would prepare you for what you're about to learn." Alice gave me a kiss on the cheek and hopped back in my limo. "I'll see you in Vegas!"

I looked at my ticket. That gave me no indication either, since it just listed a flight number and no name.

After I made my way through the airport and onto the private loading deck, I saw the plane I was supposed to be on. It was about the same size as Edward's, but was a little more spiffy. It had a few modifications I'd never seen before. A tad nervous, I made my way up the steps and onto the plane.

Once I was there, I was even more confused.

This jet belonged to Mr. William Dean.

I almost wanted to kill Alice. She knew how I felt about this guy, she knew he wanted me. Why in the fucking world would she put me on this plane with Will, of all people? She said there was something I needed to hear, and so for the sake of our friendship, I gave her a temporary PBJ. This had better be good.

I tried my best to smile, to pretend like I was excited to see him, but it couldn't have been further from the truth. "Will," I gritted through my teeth, setting my bags down in the secure spot next to the couch. "What a pleasant surprise."

"Ms. Swan," he replied, gesturing to a spot across from him. As soon as I'd sat, the doors closed and the engines rumbled from underneath the plane. "Happy birthday," he continued with a smile.

I forced a laugh and looked around me. "Alice said you had something important to discuss with me. What could I -"

"I know you're seeing Edward Cullen," Will announced, completely stopping all train of thought.

I almost choked. "Excuse me?"

"I know about your secret relationship. James informed me," he admitted.

"Boy, you don't waste any time. We aren't even in the air yet," I retorted with a small chuckle. I couldn't help the tightening of my hands or the straightening of my back. He'd found me out.

"You should know it was rather reluctantly. He's positively devoted to the friendship you two once shared." Will took a deep breath, "Though I can't say I'm terribly fond of your choice in a significant other." He took me in, from head to toe, and started laughing quite hysterically. "You look terrified. I'm not going to hurt you, Isabella. You can calm down."

I suddenly exhaled a breath I didn't even know I was holding. "I'm not scared of you," I murmured. "It seems that these past few days have been paramount for an increase of interest my personal life. Not only have you been let in on the secret, but Jenks knows now, too, and in twenty four hours, so will the rest of the world. You can imagine why I was reluctant to divulge his name at first."

Will nodded. "Though, I do feel compelled to ask you about the mark on your face. Was it him? Did Edward do that to you?"

"You know him better than I do. Would you think him capable of such a thing?"

He remained as relaxed as possible. "In the past six years, I've never known him to lay his hands on a _woman_ in anger. Though, that's not to say he wouldn't start now."

"You really must hate him," I retorted.

Will's gray eyes narrowed and the smile dropped from his face. He opened his mouth to say something snide and sarcastic, but he paused. "Would you care for some wine?" he asked instead.

"No, thank you," I replied. "I don't drink this early in the morning."

"Oh please," Will snickered, "Even people in England have heard of Alan Jackson. It's five o'clock somewhere? You should try some," he persisted. "I purchased it from an exquisite, albeit extremely tiny, vineyard in the south of Spain."

I smiled and tilted my head to the side, "If you insist."

Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, a stewardess came and poured us two glasses, setting the bottle in a cooler next to Will. After taking a sip, I dubbed it the best Merlot I'd had in years. Will made eye contact with me again and sighed.

"Isabella, you must understand my predicament," he said in response to my earlier question about his hating Edward.

"You used to date his cousin, Irina? I assume you must have taken her death pretty hard."

He snorted a tiny laugh. "'Pretty hard' is quite the understatement, wouldn't you say, for losing your wife?"

I almost choked on my Merlot. "Excuse me?"

"Edward didn't tell you?" he continued, seeming honestly surprised.

I shook my head in disagreement.

"No, of course he didn't," Will snorted. "Why would he? I'm sure there's a great deal he didn't mention."

"Care to elaborate?" I asked.

He leaned toward me and smiled deviously. "What exactly did Ms. Brandon explain to you about this meeting?"

I pursed my lips and took another sip of wine. "Nothing much, only that I had to do her this favor. That there were some things I needed to hear from the horse's mouth."

"Are you angry with her for throwing you on this plane with me?"

"I - well, I haven't decided yet," I answered honestly.

"Please allow her this tiny indiscretion. She only wants you to be safe and happy," Will explained. "She thinks you might be with Edward, and after learning the truth, I thought it was a match well made. But there are things you must know."

"The real reason he was in Europe? Carlisle's schemes? Irina's death? The reason he sought me out initially? He confessed all of it," I explained.

"But he didn't tell you why we went from being the best of friends to barely talking to each other."

"He never brought it up." _Though I tried several times._

"His bastard father was responsible for the death of Irina. And Edward vehemently defends him to this day."

"Carlisle doesn't seem like the type of man to kill one of his children," I protested.

"What if -" Will started. "What if I told you that my marriage to Irina was a secret? That Edward was the only witness? That Carlisle would have killed me, personally, if he had found out about it?"

"I'd say -" I thought long and hard about it for a few seconds. "Well, I'd have to believe you. Carlisle's certainly an interesting character, at best. He'd try to kill _you_, sure. But Irina? Not a chance."

"Eventually," Will explained. "It got to a point where Irina wanted to resign from her position in the CIA and move to London. Carlisle forbid it. She'd never tell him it was to be with me, of course. They fought about it for months. Carlisle sought Edward and probed him for information. The boy, never knowing exactly how to stand up to his father, gave in. He told Carlisle everything.'

'The fucked up thing was that she was pregnant," he murmured solemnly. "Carlisle did not condone the marriage, much less the spawn of such a reckless decision." Will paused and shook his head absentmindedly. "You said you knew of Carlisle's indiscretions, of the demands he put on his children. Irina found out that her family, the same family who had taken her in when her parents died, was responsible for a number of corporate crimes all around the world.'

'In fact, all of the crimes that fit the same M.O. were organized with the code name, "VOLTURI," a case she was heading up herself at the CIA. When she finally put the puzzle pieces together and figured out that her dear uncle was the one responsible, she realized how much she had to lose, how much her family had to lose. It wasn't about her anymore, or Edward or Carlisle. It was about Esme and Tanya. It was about Tanya's son, Garrett. It was about _our _chil-" He paused, seeming to choke on the word. "Our future.'

'She didn't want to see anyone taken off to jail, but she knew that she had to make a decision between her career and her family. Edward, she figured she could save. But, Carlisle - that was a different story."

"I can see how this would be bad for you. What does it have to do with Edward?"

"Carlisle found out about her case at the CIA. He knew that she knew what he was up to, and knew she planned a flight out to Spain to try to stop Edward, try to persuade him to go away for a while so she could figure things out. And what do you know, less than a week later, a 'crazed maniac' broke into Edward's office and stormed the halls looking for him, coincidentally the same night that Irina was there to coerce her cousin into running away from Carlisle's madness.'

'This crazed maniac was later identified as an ex-marine, wanted in America for four counts of aggravated assault and third degree murder. What, perchance, could have caused him to miss his intended target?"

I seemed dumbfounded for a second. "I thought she jumped in front of it -"

"Do you honestly expect me to believe that, in a blink of an eye, Irina was able to jump in front of a speeding bullet aimed at Edward?"

The look on my face must have been similar to that of a deer in headlights.

"Only three people know for sure what happened that night, and two of them are dead," Will concluded.

"Edward said that this shooter, this murderer, was hired by someone who was disgruntled over a business deal gone bad. Are you trying to tell me Carlisle hired him to - -" I couldn't even finish the sentence. It was too much to taken in all at once. "Why would he do such a thing? It doesn't seem logical."

He took a deep breath and looked down to his wine. The misery in his eyes, the sadness he must have felt, was suffocating. I could almost feel it wrapping its tight, little fingers around my throat. Will opened his mouth to say something, but ultimately shook his head and chuckled uncomfortably. "I have no evidence, of course, and even if Edward knew, he wouldn't admit to it. What do you do, you know? When your father is responsible for the murder of what might as well be your sister?"

"But it _is_ possible that he doesn't know, that Edward is innocent in all of this?"

"I wholeheartedly believe he is. He took her death the hardest of the entire family. Irina and he were close – terribly close. He loved her immensely, and he watched her die. She took her last breath right in his arms, and there was nothing he could do." Will stopped to catch his breath. A single tear trickled down his cheek. He brushed it away and took a sip of wine. "For weeks afterward, I blamed him. For weeks, I believed he pulled the trigger himself. But then, I - I just knew he couldn't -" Will choked again, unable to finish his thought.

"So, who was really responsible?" I finally asked.

"Aye, there's the rub, isn't it?" Will shook his head. "The man who Edward shot in his office in Spain, the man who held the gun, was neither an employee or a consultant of Zeneaux Industries, the company Edward was there to acquire, the same company Carlisle later blamed for her death. He came down on that CEO with the full arm of the law, and later had him convicted of conspiring the murder of Edward Cullen and funding the murder of Irina Denali Dean."

"Where's the rub in that?"

"There were never any documented phone records from either the office, the cell phone, or the home phone of the CEO to the murderer. No emails, no messages, no identifiable forms of communication. There were no great money transfers, no oversea accounts, no – no reason to think he'd done it at all. Carlisle's a powerful man, with many friends in power who are afraid of him," Will explained.

With this, he handed me a manila folder. It held three pieces of paper. Two were phone records, and the last was a bank account statement for an account in Sweden. "What's all this?"

"The two phone calls that you see circled were made from a payphone within a block of the Cullen Incorporated offices to an unlisted number in Spain. One was a week before she was murdered, and the second the day of the murder. The bank statement documents a wire transfer from the account of "C.C. Kulin" to an unnamed account in Spain two days after she was shot."

"Will, I understand the pain you must have went through, the pain you must still be going through. But - -" I chose my next words very carefully. "- - in my opinion, you're trying to make a dollar out of fifteen cents."

"C. Kullin? C'mon Ms. Swan, surely you see the connection," he pleaded.

I shook my head and took another big drink of wine. "It's possible. But, honestly, how many wire transfers occur between accounts in Sweden and accounts in Spain every day?" I'd meant my retort to be sarcastic.

He'd taken it literally. "One hundred and fifteen. Approximently. Most people use PayPal these days."

I nodded and looked back down to the file folder, remaining silent until my brain could register everything he'd told me. "Why are you telling me all of this?" I finally whispered.

"There are a few reasons, really. First of which, and most important in my opinion, being that you should know what you're getting yourself into. I heard about the merger," he started. "As much as Jenks wants to retire, he should seriously reconsider the type of legacy he leaves behind."

My eyes shifted from the paperwork in my lap to Will's cold stare. "And the second reason?"

"This particular telephone booth, the one these phone calls came from, it's on the same block as Dyco Tech. It's right behind your building," Will explained. "Right under one of your surveillance cameras."

And there it was, the real reason behind all of this. "So, you need my help?"

"I can't bring three measly pieces of paper to a court room, and demand justice. I'm not the type to use force to get what I want."

I smirked and took another drink of wine. "You'd rather schmooze your way to your goals."

"That's one way of putting it."

"Tell me the truth. The real reason you invested in Dyco Tech was to get to this information, wasn't it? This has been your plan all along."

"Perhaps, I also wanted to meet this infamous Isabella Swan that I'd heard so much about." He cast a sideways smile in my direction.

I nodded in understanding. "Even if I get you this footage, there's no proof that the number that was called in Spain was the killers."

"I have other sources working on that one for me as we speak."

I pursed my lips and took a deep breath. "What's in it for me?"

Will's eyebrows perked up in confusion. "Besides being the most powerful woman in the world? How about watching Carlisle crumble at the knees? How about watching the man you love finally be set free from the metaphoric ties of his father? Or do you enjoy coming in second to the man who is responsible for the way Edward is today?"

I sighed and finished my glass of wine, gesturing for the bottle so that I could pour myself another. I neither confirmed nor denied that I would help him, I just put the folder to the side and forced a smile.

"Finally, the reason that I'm telling you all of this is to ask for your forgiveness," he continued.

"Forgiveness?"

"More than your prowess and allure in general, I saw someone Edward cared deeply for and I couldn't help but feel the urge to take her from him."

"So, you knew? This whole time, you knew about Edward and I?"

"More or less," he confessed. "I was waiting for some sort of confirmation. When you admitted it to James, that was all I needed."

"How?" I blurted. "How did you know?"

"I have my sources - Artistic in nature though they may be."

I nodded, immediately understanding that he must have seen some of Edward's work.

"When you said you were dating someone in particular, I put two and two together."

"Smart man," I started. "And, I accept your apology, but you are not forgiven. I don't appreciate being tricked into thinking my secrets are safe."

Will took a deep breath and a sip of his wine before lifting one side of his mouth. "You obviously care deeply for him."

"He's the first man I've met that doesn't make me feel . . ." I took a sip of wine to fully think it through. ". . . threatening."

"Do I make you feel threatening?"

I laughed. "No, – cliché."

He snickered and finished his booze. "You should know what you've done to him, that you've made a man out of a block of marble."

"Pft," I snorted.

"You're his obsession. You have been for a long time."

"Obsession does not equal love, I'm starting to realize."

His eyes squinted in confusion. "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean."

I shrugged my shoulders. "Where is he now? Where has he been? The media is breathing down my back, Carlisle confirms the merger on National TV, I've got Eleazar gripping at my gonads, and he's - - well - - he's disappeared, hasn't he? He can't possibly love me that much."

"James tells me he left for Las Vegas shortly before dinner last night."

"And yet he couldn't bring himself to tell me that."

"And what would be the only logical reason?" Will protested. "My bet is that Carlisle's so far crammed up Edward's arse, he's not even allowed to shit without permission."

I laughed at his bluntness and choked back some more wine.

"You don't trust him?" Will blurted.

"Yes," I finally murmured. "Yes, I trust him. Sometimes. Most of the time," I continued.

"Then, how can you say you love him?"

To be honest, this was the best talk I'd had in years, and I would have never thought it would be with William Dean of all people. Here I was, slitting my guts open to a man who'd spent the better part of two months chasing after me. But now that he knew about Edward, I felt like I'd been set free. And the fact that Will knew Edward so well made it even more liberating. I could be blunt, I could be frank, I could be whatever the hell I wanted to be, and Will wouldn't think any less of me for it. "I know I love him because of this feeling that I get when I see him. Trust has little or nothing to do with love."

"So you think he's out messing around on you?"

"No," I immediately answered. And, maybe it was the wine, maybe I was tired of being so secretive, or maybe I really wanted a man's opinion, I decided to be honest with him. "No, just afraid that something bad has happened to him, or that Jenks did something to him, and that he'll keep it from me to protect me," I started. "Or that he's had his fill of me and moved on."

"You worry too much. This is another reason I've invited you along this morning."

Suddenly, as if on cue, the captain came over the loud speaker and announced our descent on Las Vegas.

"What are you talking about?"

Will rose and walked to one side of the plane. He opened a closet and pulled out two backpacks before turning around to look at me. "Nothing but clear skies and sunshine in Vegas today." He wagged his eyebrows at me and smirked.

I immediately recognized the backpack as skydiving garb and strongly declined. "No. Not a chance in hell are you getting me to do that. No, thank you."

"Women," he mused. "You're all the same."

"Excuse me?"

"Not two days ago you were talking about jumping out of a jet over the skyline of Orlando, and now? Now, you've got cold piggies. None of that nonsense. Throw this on your back and listen up." He shot me a wink and tossed the pack next to me on the couch.

"Yeah, but – but that was a publicity stunt," I reasoned. "The cat's already out of the bag. There's no more reason to risk killing myself."

"Wow," Will cut in. "You sure know how to make a guy feel special. Thanks. Just for that, you have to do it now." He mocked sadness.

"What are you going to do? Make me?"

"My pilot has specific orders not to land the plane until you jump. I've got enough gas for another ten hours. Didn't you have plans for tonight?" he teased – or at least I think he was teasing.

"Are you holding me hostage?" I instantly retorted.

He chuckled and then shook his head. "Certainly not," he added. "You can jump, or you can wait for the plane to run out of gas. Either way, it's up to you. You have two ways off the plane."

I raised my eyebrow at him and crossed my arms, defiantly looking out the window. "I'm in my business attire," I moaned, gesturing to my heels. "I'm supposed to be on stage two hours after I land. I have to get to my hotel and unload my luggage before that. There's no way I'm going to jump out of a plane and still have time to look presentable."

Will nodded and looked over his shoulder. "Edith," he yelled. "Find Ms. Swan something suitable to jump in."

"Yes, Mr. Dean," she coyly responded. She arrived about a minute later with a pair of sweatpants and a tee shirt. "I guessed your size." She held up a pair of Adidas tennis shoes.

"Great," I mused. "This doesn't change anything. I'm still not jumping to my death."

"Look," Will demanded, sauntering towards me. He gestured to the straps on his chest. "You pull this one when I do. If nothing happens, then you pull this one."

"And then if nothing happens?"

"You cling to me and I'll pull my second one."

"Cling to you? Perfect," I groaned.

"Why don't you trust anyone?" he instantly blurted.

"Excuse me?"

"Not me, not your lover. Why is that? Have I given you any reason not to trust me?"

"Are you kidding? We just went over how you only bought into my company to get me to help you."

"No, we just went over about a year and a half of personal bullshit that I've been through. And I bought into your company to help you as well," he protested. "Did it not?"

I wish I could have told him no. He'd helped us a tremendous amount. Product was being bought left and right for outrageous prices. Because of the general vagueness of our relationship thus far, the media had been fascinated with Will and I. And that interest threw me into the lime light. Detrimental to my private life as that may have been, shares were up 50%.

Will nodded and grabbed the backpack to hold it up in front of me. "If you think my intentions are malicious in the least, feel free to stay on the plane until it lands. But if not," he started. "Put on the damn backpack and let the fuck go already."

"Let go? Let go of what?"

"Of whatever it is that's keeping you on this plane," Will murmured. "Eleazar, Carlisle, Jenks. Maybe your father or mother. An absent lover. Society."

"Self preservation?"

"Whomever, whatever. Let the bloody fuck go." Will explained. Pursing my lips, I walked to the bathroom and threw on the clothes that Edith had brought me. When I returned, Will smiled and pulled the parachute backpack over my shoulders. He walked in front of me and began buckling the safety restraints before giving me a small wink and pressing a button to tell the captain the plane was ready to be depressurized. There was a loud hissing sound followed by Will pushing a button near the door. It slid into the side of the plane, instantly creating a whirlwind inside the cabin.

With a handsome smile, he nudged me toward the opening. I stood with my legs shoulder length apart and my hands on either side of the door jamb, my hair whipping around my face.

Nervous was an understatement. I was literally shaking. From this height, I could see the strip, see the pyramid shaped hotel, Luxor, and the green MGM Grand. Knowing what they look like in real life only reinforced how far in the air we were. They looked so little. But most importantly - -

_I WAS BEING SHOVED OUT OF A FUCKING PLANE!_

"Now you know why I made you start drinking," Will teased.

"Gee, thanks," I snorted in response. "That was supposed to help me?"

"Trust me, Isabella," he said. "The hardest part really is the most simple. Just. Let. Go."

"I can't," I murmured, looking down at the ground below. I shook my head furiously. We were so high up. I locked in place. I couldn't do it. "I can't! I can't!"

Every bone in my body screamed _NO FUCKING WAY!_

"What are you afraid of?" he screamed over the jet engines.

"DYING!" I hissed.

"NO! Wrong! What are you really afraid of?"

I shook my head. "I really don't - -"

"What are you afraid of, Isabella?"

I stood there for a second, staring into his grey eyes.

"Tell me!" he shouted

"I'm afraid that I'll die – -" I shouted back.

"You won't. Trust me," he snorted. "Jump."

After a few more seconds of deliberation, he spoke again.

"Why are you still on my plane, Isabella? Why don't you trust me? Why can't you trust anyone?"

"Because it hurts worse when they leave you," I immediately shouted in response. I couldn't help the tear that fell down my face.

"It hurts either way," he immediately answered.

"What if I'm fucking everything up? What if I'm relying on Edward when he doesn't want to be relied on? What if I risk everything for our relationship and then he leaves me anyway?"

"Life goes on," he shouted. "You live and you learn."

"Don't throw Alanis in my face right now. I'm so close to getting fired, it's pathetic."

"Then, come work for me."

I shot him the evil eye.

He laughed and shook his head. "Look, Bella. When you're old and grey and on your death bed, do you honestly think you'll be worried about any of those tussers? About your job, about Edward, about Jenks and the silly career you had when you were thirty?"

I shrugged.

"If you're not living on the edge, then you're not living. So, just let it go. Let it all go."

I took a deep breath and let it sink in. Somehow, those four little words held the most meaning to me of everything we'd talked about on this hour and a half flight. The hardest part really was letting go - - letting go of everything.

Had I been struggling to hold onto Edward this whole time when all he was trying to do was wiggle free? Was I holding onto him too tightly because he was the first real thing I'd felt in such a long time? Would there be others after him?

Had I been stressing over keeping my affair a secret when all it was going to do was blow up into magnificent proportions anyway? Was the press always going to find out, whether I wanted it to or not? Could I have done anything different?

And does that even matter now?

Things were as they were, and I hadn't a fucking chance in hell of stopping it.

So - - why did I worry about it so much?

I closed my eyes and smiled.

_Fuck it._

And so I jumped. I let go.

I let go in every way imaginable. I let go of the plane, let go of my anxiety, let go of Edward, let go of this whole fucking mess.

And it felt fantastic.

Everywhere on my body.

Feeling the wind ripping through my hair and over my fingers was the best thing in the world. The world was pressing in on me and pushing me out simultaneously.

As I fell through the atmosphere, everything that had gone wrong in the past week simply slipped away from me. It peeled off me like a snake, one layer at a time.

Eleazar, Fuck him.

Scott, Fuck him.

Jenks, Fuck him.

Carlisle, Fuck him the most.

And Edward - - Edward, I decided, would find a way of working itself out. And if it didn't, it sure was fun while it lasted.

I might get fired.

I'd find another job.

Or I wouldn't. I'd live off what was sure to be an excellent severance package.

Then, Edward and I could go off the grid and it wouldn't even matter anymore.

That was what I wanted most in the world.

And if that was the case, what was there to be worried about, really?

The media could do with me what they wished. I'd disappear eventually.

It was so freeing.

I opened my eyes and I was still falling.

The view was the most outstanding in the world. Everything gradually got a little bigger, and just when I thought I couldn't get better, Will brought himself a lot closer to me and pointed to his chest.

I bit my lip, closed my eyes and pulled the tab on my chest. The chute opened exactly the way it was supposed to. The only other thing to do was enjoy the ride down.

Which was fantastic as well.

We landed at a well known sky diving facility, gracefully falling into a padded landing. I unhooked the chute and ran over to Will, only a short distance away.

"That was awesome!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, laughing and giggling like a stupid idiot. But I couldn't help the thrill, the absolute rush, that I had. I suddenly felt the urge to explode energy all over someone. "That was - - That was amazing!" I literally jumped into his arms, throwing my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist.

It was meant to be a full body hug. It was meant to be friendly.

But I was a little drunk and mostly high off the jump.

It couldn't be stopped.

And Will must have known something was coming, because he threw his arms around me and held me with the same intensity that I clung to him.

This strange moment between us wasn't romantic, nor was it coated in warm fuzzy feelings and unresolved sexual tension. This was purely spiritual. He'd been with me at my weakest. He'd seen me break down and forced me to overcome it. He deserved my gratitude for what he'd helped me through.

"Thank you," I murmured. "Thank you, thank you."

"Did you - - Did you let go?" he managed to whisper.

I nodded once or twice, but before I could say anything else, someone coughed from right next to us.

And then the cameras started flashing.

At least twenty or thirty reporters were on the far side of the landing area.

And they'd captured the whole thing.

This private, overwhelming experience I'd shared with Will was just made public.

_Fuck!_

**A/N: Wow, okay, where to start. First of all, Thank you for your patience with this chapter. I've been dealing with crazy RL issues, but who isn't these days right? In addition, I now spend most evenings glued to the Black Dagger Brotherhood novels. You can write, email, phone J.R. Ward personally and blame her for the delay in this chapter.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it and make sure you've got the link to my blog (it's available on my profile) as I am going to post the teasers there from now on. Thanks again for reading. **

**So, your favorite part? Least favorite? What do you think is gonna happen next chapter?**


	27. Happy Birthday the Vegas Way

_**A/N: There are two songs associated with this chapter, "Use Somebody" by Kings of Leon and "A Drop In The Ocean" by Ron Pope. Youtube them, enjoy them, love them. **_

**_Chapter 27_**

**_Happy Birthday The Vegas Way_**

Will and I made our way over to his limo, despite the the crowd of reporters throwing questions at us. It was a little hilarious how fanatical the press was when it came to me and my relationships. Was I with Will? Was I with Edward? Maybe both? I could only imagine the headlines tomorrow, especially after tonight.

Well, that was if Edward even showed up.

I turned my phone on after the plane landed, and I retrieved my purse. Still nothing.

"Bella," Will started once we were alone. "I swear I had nothing to do with their presence. Our itineraries are practically public knowledge, I didn't know -"

"It's okay, Will. It's the least of my worries right now. I honestly had a great time." I gave him the most honest smile that I could and looked out the window. "Thank you for making me jump out of a plane."

He smiled and nodded. "You're very welcome. What are you two planning for tonight, if you don't mind me asking?" he inquired kindly.

My gaze instantly returned to his. His eyes were warm, welcoming. It seemed I had a new ally in the Brit. "I honestly don't know. I think it may just be me and my pregnant assistant."

Will laughed. "The infamous Ms. Stanley won't be joining you?"

"I think she'd rather entertain you this evening."

"Of course," he teased. "Well, should you find yourself without a plus one, let me know. My schedule is extremely flexible."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Please do."

After we said our goodbyes at the private entrance of the Wynn, I made my way inside and checked into my suite, which Alice had picked out specifically for my birthday. It was amazing, with an incredible view of the strip. It sucked to know she was leaving me very, very soon. As soon as we got back to New York, actually. Then, I had no idea what I'd do. I guess I'd have to hire someone else. But no one would really be able to replace her - ever.

That's if I even decided to go on with the self-induced punishment of my chosen career. Surely, after this morning, I'd have yet another rumor chasing me around. The press was bound to grill my ass up and eat me alive at the conference, and who wanted to deal with that day in and day out? I'd meant what I said to Edward a few nights ago. I'd give this all up to run away with him. The board meetings, the conventions, the money, the lifestyle, all of it - I'd throw it all away to just be with him for the rest of my life.

And for the first time ever, that thought didn't scare me.

I accepted it. I wanted it.

And if it meant we'd get away from Carlisle, all the better.

But who could replace _me_? Who would I hand the reins over to if I chose to resign?

Rosalie deserved it, but that would take going through her company and hiring a replacement for her before she came to me.

Tanya could do it, but I doubt she wanted to.

Alice wasn't coming back, and that was that.

_Fuck, was I really thinking about this. Seriously?_

Maybe Will had a point. Maybe I should go to work with him, then I could sleep with whomever I wanted to. He hadn't exactly told me to stop seeing Cullen. In fact, he was the first person who knew about us that _didn't _tell me to stop seeing him.

So what did that say about Edward?

Or about Will?

I took a deep breath and changed into something presentable, black slacks and heels seeming appropriate, and did something with my hair before heading downstairs. I had about an hour to get ready for the press conference and still had no idea who I'd find sitting on that stage today. If Will was right, Edward should be back, and if that was the case, I had a bone to pick with him as to why he'd been leaving me hanging for two days. But I digress. It was my birthday, God damn it. It was going to be good.

Making my way through the casino, I found the backstage entrance to the press room and started inside, only to get one foot in before Alice yelled for me from behind. "Hey," she shouted to get my attention.

"Hey there," I replied, turning around to her.

"I thought Jessica was going to handle this today," she announced. Without even checking, she pointed down to the itinerary and smiled.

"Really?" I glanced down at her sheet, noting Jess' name where mine was typically written. "Yeah, I guess so."

"You're welcome." She grinned and sucked on the straw of her iced tea. "Go do something fun, like a spa or a male hooker or something."

"The press was all over that flight with Will," I commented absently, completely ignoring her hooker comment altogether.

She sighed and nodded as we took a few steps inside the room, stepping around the tables of food and hanging curtains. "Yeah, I saw it on CNN. What are you going to do about it?"

I shrugged. "Nothing, I suppose."

"Hm," Alice hummed, quirking an eyebrow at me. "Isabella Swan not freaking out about something happening out of plan? That's a new color on you."

"I'm trying it out, might return it if you make me feel too self conscious."

There was a second of silence then she looked around and laughed. "So what did you think of Dean's story?"

"I'm still thinking about it."

"Are you going to help him?"

Before I could answer her, Jessica walked up to us from behind. "Are you sure you want me to handle this?" she started nervously. "We should find PR probably - just a suggestion. They'd do better at answering their questions."

"Nah," I answered. "You've got the balls to handle it."

"Really? You think so?" Her tone was sarcastic, high pitched, as if I wasn't telling her something she already knew.

I nodded and gave her the thumbs up playfully.

"And what if they ask me about your sex life? What should I tell them? Are you fucking Cullen? Dean? Might as well throw in Bill Gates while we're at it. I think I saw him floating around the Microsoft set up a few minutes ago." That was the thing I liked about Jessica. Aside from some of her more ditzy attributes, she had an uncanny ability to tell it like it was, and there were few females I'd ever met with this type of sass.

"Tell them whatever you want. It won't matter after tomorrow."

"So, I should just tell them we're actually lesbian lovers and plan to run off together tonight?" Jessica joked with a laugh.

I smirked and shook my head at her. "At this point, they might just believe you."

"But, really though? All joking aside? I think I've got this. No worries, huh?" She shot me a wink and then walked on stage, taking my seat in the hot chair. I could hear the collective WTF? from the audience as everyone realized that my Marketing Director would be fielding questions today instead of me. I could only imagine what they'd make of this, considering the outburst in Houston.

A few seconds later, Carlisle made his appearance and nodded at me before walking on stage next to Jessica.

_Prick!_

After having that talk with Will on the plane, I couldn't help but feel immense distaste for that man. Will seemed pretty convinced that he was the one responsible for Irina's murder, and even though the motive seemed far fetched to me, he gave off the "dirty-deeds-done-dirt-cheap" vibe, if you know what I mean. His smile was just a little too perfect, his tie a little too symmetrical, like he was constantly trying to hide his big gigantic flaws.

But more than Irina, I had my own personal reasons for disliking him and they had everything to do with Edward. I didn't believe him for a second when he said he had nothing to do with Edward's absence. Carlisle was behind this, if only to force us into staying apart and keeping the relationship low profile.

Well, so much for that fucker. We had nothing to do with whether it happened anymore. The pictures were going to be in Monday morning's _Wall Street, _and there was no stopping that, even if I wanted to. Every inch of me hoped this played out right. Things were either going to go very, very well or they were about to get a million times worse.

The MC started the presentation and introduced the individual companies. As soon as the first reporter had been called, I knew things were on a downward spiral.

"Ms. Stanley, can you account for the whereabouts of your CEO? Why isn't she the one here answering questions?"

Jessica smiled tightly and leaned into the microphone. "Today is Ms. Swan's birthday. Surely, you read that somewhere in your smear campaign. She's taking it easy."

"Yeah, I'm sure jumping out of an airplane at eight in the morning is incredibly exhausting."

"I wouldn't know." Jessica smiled and looked to the MC for the next question.

As another reporter stood, Jessica shifted in her seat and shot a glance over to me in the sidewings. "Ms. Stanley, any news to report on the merger?"

Jessica nodded and looked to Carlisle. "We're still working out the finer details, and as soon as they become available, believe me, you'll be the first to know. Couldn't keep it from you otherwise."

The crowd chuckled as the next reporter came forward, a small blond with a big ego. "Have you personally seen any inappropriate interactions between Ms. Swan and Mr. Cullen? Or Mr. Dean for that matter?"

"Okay," Jessica started before laughing. "I can assure you that Ms. Swan is nothing if not professional, as am I. Moreover, we are at a _technology convention _people_, _to talk about advancements we've made in security measures, more specifically advancements made in the facial recognition field. Should you desire to ask about our new software, I'd be more than inclined to elaborate. As for Mr. Cullen, Mr. Dean and Ms. Swan, or any personal interactions therein, I'm not going to waste my breath."

"So, is that a yes or a no?" the smart ass blonde urged.

"That's a "I'm-pretty-sure-you'll-make-up-your-own-story-so-why-bother?" Next?"

I smiled and nodded eagerly. "That's my girl," I whispered, taking a few steps back. Alice smiled and laughed in agreement.

That was when it hit me. The jolt at the base of my spine shot up my body and cascaded down my arms to my fingertips. I shuddered at the familiar feeling. He was here, somewhere, looking at me. I could feel it. Every hair I had stood on end. I looked around quickly, my eyes straining to take in each face and figure.

_Where? Where are you?_

I walked closer to the coffee display, only to find nothing there. Then, I walked to the other side of the stage. No one. I found myself in a dark corner backstage, alone and surrounded by black curtains. I was pretty sure I wasn't supposed to be on this side of things, so I started to head back.

"I heard a rumor about you," a voice whispered into my ear from behind, stopping me dead in my tracks.

My heart fluttered at the familiar tone as a gasp caught in the back of my throat. I couldn't help it. It felt so good to hear his voice. Wasn't I supposed to be upset with him or something? Fuck it. He was here, standing right behind me, and that's what I wanted most for my birthday. He pressed his hands into my hips and pushed his pelvis against mine.

"Really? And just what might this rumor be?" I teased.

"Are you _really _jumping out of planes with William Dean?"

I faked surprise. "Don't you watch the news?" I muttered. "I'm a regular Evel Knievel."

"And Mr. Dean?"

"I was coerced."

"Ah," Edward hummed with a small chuckle.

"And what of you?" I hissed. "You've suddenly decided to grace me with your presence?"

Instead of answering, his fingers slid down the front of my thighs and back up, gliding over my lower stomach. "I missed you," he murmured. He pulled me backwards, step by step, until the view of the stage and the audience disappeared behind the curtains. One hand left my body then I heard the click of a doorknob and we were moving further back. He'd brought me to a prop closet, merely feet from what was going on. I could still hear Jessica's voice as she dodged questions and brought the conversation back to the real reason we were here.

But, I couldn't focus on that. My body was twisted around and my back was pushed against the cold metal door. It was pitch black, I couldn't see anything. The only sound filling my head was Edward's rhythmic breathing right in front of me. Then, I heard "Happy Birthday" next to my ear and knew Edward was centimeters from my face. My mind went back to the last time he pushed me up against a door. That was the best sex I'd ever had, and probably ever would. It was then that I realized that no one would ever top him for me. I was head over heels in love with him, and it felt eternal - like it would last for the rest of my life.

Was that the vasotoxin Rosalie told me about? Was I acting like a prarie vole?

Who the hell knew? But not a molecule in my body wanted to worry about it anymore.

So I let it go and focused on the man in front me. His smell whirled around my head, almost forcing my knees out from under me. It was a scent I'd come to literally crave.

"Thank you," I murmured, wrapping my arms around his neck. Then, I felt his lips against mine, sweetly at first, getting used to the familiar feeling, until it grew passionate and needy. My fingers flew to his hair, tangling and gripping and pulling tighter. A hand gripped at my breast and the other travelled to my thigh, hitching my knee up on his hip. I couldn't help the flood that formed between my legs as he pulled away and pressed his pelvis into mine, hinting at a growing arousal that needed attention.

"Did you decide what you want for your birthday?" he muttered, and even though it was dark, I could feel his stare on me, that special tingling jolting up and down my spine. I quivered at how amazing it felt.

"Hmm. I could think of a few things." My tone was playful and exotic, alluding to what he must have known I demanded as a present.

He laughed darkly. "Such as?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" I teased.

"I could probably guess."

"Uh huh." Now, I was my turn to laugh. "Did you get my messages?"

"Of course I did. Listened to them several times."

"And, what? Felt they deserved no reply."

"Don't get pissy. I've got good reasons."

"Best get to explaining, Mr. Cullen."

"Careful now, Ms. Swan. Wouldn't want to punish you with all those people within earshot."

"You don't have the balls."

He smirked and shoved his hand between my legs. I moaned, knowing I had no chance of hiding my wetness from him. He knew it was his doing. He had probably set out with the intention of making me feel like this within a few feet of the media and Jessica vehemently ignoring any questions regarding these very actions. He wanted to prove I was still his, prove he could still get me wild with yearning and that Will hadn't stolen me from him. Well, it worked.

"Don't I?" he hissed. Then, I was pushed aside and the door opened. "I'll see you tonight."

I couldn't help but snicker.

_Tonight. _I told myself. _Tonight._

I spent the next few hours of my time at the gigantic pool behind the hotel, sipping on pina coladas. The only thing that would have made this better would have been if Alice were with me. As my assistant, she rarely had time to be my friend anymore. And who could blame her? Her job was more important than mine. Eventually, the time came for me to head back and get ready for the banquet. As I entered my suite and headed for the bedroom, I passed the "mystery doors" in the living room and smiled. Even though I knew that they led to the adjoining suite, it was fun to imagine what might be on the other side. A parallel universe? My unknown soul mate? A magical world with talking beavers and unicorns?

Shaking it off, I showered and put on my birthday dress. It was a black and white number, designed for me personally by Mistress Vera specifically for this occasion. It fell just above my knees and was perhaps too informal for dinner. But fuck it. I was going to look fantastic. I slipped into my black heels and curled my hair, pinning it back playfully. Once the smokey eye make up was in place and I had enough cover-up on my face to hide Scott's work of art (which was still sore as shit, I might add), I headed to the living room area to take in the beautiful view for a second. The strip was just lighting up for the night and all of the hotels looked amazing from this height.

Suddenly, there was a knock on my door. Figuring it was Alice, I walked over to open it and froze once I realized who it really was.

"CNN told me you were having boy problems, and even though Alice assured me you were hopeless and not to bother, I decided to come check in on you personally," Jake smirked, opening his arms wide for a hug. He was dressed in a very expensive looking black suit with a black shirt underneath. He looked absolutely stunning.

Hardly able to contain my smile, I giggled like a five year old and jumped into them. "I can't believe you're here."

"I wouldn't miss your birthday, c'mon Bells," he teased, putting me back on my feet. "Besides, do you know how much sweet, succulent action there is in Vegas? Why did you honestly think I wouldn't come?"

"Of course! How crazy could I have been to think you'd actually come just to help me celebrate?"

"Super crazy," he added.

"What happened to Paul?"

"We have an area code rule." He shrugged and smiled, as if to suggest that was the most normal thing in the world.

I started laughing. "Ah, the exclusive area code rule," I answered with understanding. "I'm glad you came, Jake."

"You're welcome," he finally replied. "But seriously, I'm gonna get so much ass, it's not even funny."

"Never is." I walked back into my suite and gestured for him to come in behind me.

He took a look around and whistled. "Wow. Look at this place. You'd think they would have hired a better decorator for being such a high class hotel."

I snorted and looked around. It didn't seem that bad to me. The walls were painted with a neutral, brownish color and the trim was dark wood, picked to set off the darker furniture no doubt. "Leave it to you to fly across the country, meet up with your best friend that you haven't seen in weeks, and comment first on the decorating."

"Well, at $2300 a night, you'd expect nirvana."

"You don't feel relaxed?" I replied sarcastically.

"What's going on with lover boy?" he suddenly blurted, wrapping his hands behind his back. He took a few steps toward me and raised an eyebrow, suggesting I better not lie to him.

I sighed and smiled nervously, grabbing my purse from the bedroom. "It's complicated," I explained vaguely.

"It always is. You screwing the blond now?"

"He wishes," I teased.

"I just bet he does."

I rolled my eyes and stuck my arm out expectantly. "You want to be my escort tonight?"

He nodded, flashing me that brilliant white smile, and wrapped his arm around mine, walking me to the door. "Complicated, my ass. Have I taught you nothing about men? Things are never complicated with us." I couldn't help my chuckle. "We're only capable of thinking about two things at any given moment. Our dick and shoving it in something."

Oh, how true those words rang.

"Hey, I saw you on E!" I mused when we got into the elevator. "Thanks for telling that reporter off."

"Eh, what are friends for, huh? I just can't believe E! was doing a story on you. Tsk, tsk, tsk," Jake shook his head playfully. "What is this world coming to when everyone wants to know about Isabella Swan?"

"It's blasphemy, I'll tell ya'." I shouted playfully.

"Oh, stop it," Jake teased.

Once we had made our way downstairs and into the banquet hall, I immediately searched for Rosalie and Alice who were already seated at our table. When Jake and I made our way there, Rose stood and wrapped her arms around her brother and smiled. "Good of you to make it."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," he replied, taking the seat next to mine that was usually empty.

A few minutes before things started, Royce, Jenks and Mrs. Jenks took their seats and I found an opportunity to look for the Cullen table.

Not surprisingly, Carlisle and Tanya sat next to each other, surrounded by other CI directors. But there was no Edward.

I felt my anger stir for a split second before I forced it back down my throat. He told me he'd be here. I had to trust him. I just had to.

The dinner went on around me, the same people with the same conversation. Jake started in on Alice's weight gain just as Rosalie and Jasper spoke up to defend her. Then Mrs. Jenks began to explain her several pregnancies in painful detail, making sure to comment on how Alice's body will never be the same again and she'd be lucky if her uterus ever shrank back to normal size. Alice's look of disgust was classic, topped only by Jake's same disgruntled expression.

I tuned them out and ate my salad, like I was there in body, but not in mind. I couldn't stop thinking about how tonight would go and when I'd be seeing Edward again. When would he make his appearance? What would he end up getting me as a present? What would it be? There was nothing he could really give me that I didn't already have or couldn't afford for myself. All I demanded was him.

Before I knew it, the presentations had started and the MC was calling my name. I stood and made my way over to the podium, executing my speech with precision. I made some jokes about it being my birthday and I was another year older and another year prouder of the accomplishments Dyco Tech had made. During the speech, I was able to glance over at the Cullen table a few times, only to notice that Edward still hadn't made his way here. But I decided not to think about that, to just let it go. I had a million eyes on me at the moment, and I had better make it count. The crowd laughed and applauded when I wanted them to, so I figured I did a great job.

Alice and Jake only confirmed that when I got back. He wrapped his arm around the back of my chair and leaned into my ear once I sat again.

"Blondie spent the whole time checking you out," he murmured, nodding his head to the table behind us.

Sure enough, I looked over his shoulder and saw Will raising his glass in toast to me. He took a drink and winked, so I nodded and laughed in response.

As soon as all of the speeches were over, the MC opened the floor up for the dance and music starting blaring over the PA system. Not even a few seconds went by before Will came over and offered me his hand. "Surely, you'll allow me the pleasure of the first dance?"

"Bella's occupied for the moment," Jake interrupted. "But you can pleasure me if you'd like." He giggled and licked his lips.

I nudged him in the ribs and shook my head. "Of course, Will. I'd love to." I placed my napkin back on the table and stood, straightening my dress as best as I could. Then, I took Will's hand and let him lead me to the floor.

Dressed in a beautiful suit, he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled the other hand into mine at our side. King of Leon's "Use Somebody" was playing as we started to sway back and forth.

"You look amazing," he murmured next to my ear.

"Thank you, so do you."

"Oh, don't make me blush."

I started laughing and followed him as we sashayed a little deeper into the crowd around us.

"I'm beginning to think there's a lot that would make you blush."

His cheeks flushed darker. "My capillaries are close to the skin."

"Right," I added.

The music played a little more and we fell silent, just moving together to the soft melody.

Finally, he whispered, "Have you thought anymore about my proposition?"

"Indeed." I brushed a small strand of hair out of my face and cleared my throat. "Let me get back to New York and I'll see what I can find for you," I whispered

He smiled and brought his hand a little higher on my back. "Thank you, Isabella."

I almost winced at the name. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Call me Bella."

"Absolutely." He chuckled and nodded. "How long have you wanted to tell me that?"

"Since the first night we met."

He shook his head and sighed. "Don't ever be afraid to tell me something. I've spilled my guts to you. We're practically best friends now."

_Right,_ I thought to myself. I wanted that to be true. I needed someone like him in my life. He'd make me laugh, he'd do anything to make me feel better on a bad day, he'd give the best man advice when anyone I'd be dating started acting stupid, he'd be that perfect guy friend. But, I already had one of those and he was sitting a few feet away arguing with his sisters. The great thing about Will was that he knew my heart belonged to someone else and so did his, so we could only ever be platonic. Judging by the way he told the story on the plane, it was obvious he hadn't gotten over Irina. It was hard watching a man cry, even harder when you knew it was because of a broken heart.

"I still don't know what we're doing tonight," I continued, trying to change the subject. His head lifted in surprise. "But, whatever it is. I would love it if you could join us."

"Is Edward -" He stopped as if unsure about bringing him up.

"He's here. He said he'd be coming, but I don't know when."

"Oh," Will murmured insecurely.

"But, screw him. Like you said, we're friends. I'd like you there."

He nodded eagerly, that flush deepening in his cheeks. His gray, ice colored eyes met mine. They looked - touched. "Okay. I'll be there."

We'd gotten so involved in the conversation that I hadn't even noticed the song ending. Ron Pope's "A Drop in the Ocean" had started playing. We were able to dance for a few seconds before someone came up and tapped him on the shoulder. We both looked in that direction.

My back stiffened and my jaw almost hit the floor.

"May I cut in?" Edward murmured, not even bothering to take his eyes off me.

Will looked back at me momentarily, and I nodded before he dropped my hand and took a step back. "Until tonight," he whispered, leaning in to kiss me on the cheek.

Edward awkwardly cleared his throat from next to us.

Rolling my eyes, I placed one hand on his shoulder and grasped his with the other. "What do you think you are doing?" I hissed quietly.

He shook his head and smiled. "And you didn't think I had the balls."

"I was kidding," I protested. "Everyone will see us."

"Let them see," he replied, scooping me into his arms.

"Are you out of your mind?"

"Probably," he commented.

A few silent seconds went by as we started dancing. "You're late," I finally said.

"Eh." He shrugged. "Tanya handled it, didn't she?"

I nodded as he pulled my body closer to his and wrapped his hand around my waist. Excited shivers rattled down my spine. "She did. But you're the one who's supposed to be in charge of that."

"Not as of next week. Not after we sign the merger paperwork. Then, you're in charge of everything."

I went to protest, but he stopped me. "Let's not talk about that now," he started. "I'm sorry I brought it up. Can we just enjoy this moment, huh?"

"Yeah, it might be our last."

He started chuckling. "You worry too much."

"Not about this. We've been keeping our relationship a secret for so long, and now we're just blowing it out of the God damned water."

"Bella - it's too late to be concerned about that. A few hours from now, every photographer in the world is going to be flashing pictures of us at your party. We might as well get used to the pressure."

I didn't answer. I couldn't. He was absolutely right.

As we spun around the floor, I took a look at all of the people sitting in the audience. They were glued to us. The floor had cleared, it was just me and him, and every eye in the house was on our dance.

"Edward," I stammered. "They're all staring at us."

He glanced up and chuckled. "Not that guy." He nodded his head over my shoulder. "Oh damn, he just looked up."

I laughed and brought him closer to me, resting my head on his chest as we danced around. I got lost in the lyrics, lost in him, lost in the swaying and spinning.

_"Still I can't let you be,  
Most nights I hardly sleep,  
Don't take what you don't need from me."_

"I can't believe we're doing this," I muttered. "We're practically asking for early retirement."

My eye caught Carlisle in the audience. He was standing at his table, arms crossed and eyes like daggers. He was going to murder us once this was over, and that might not be hyperbole, especially after speaking with Will this morning. Then I looked over to Jenks, and he was standing with almost the same exact grimace on his face.

"Let them have their pissing contest. I've got what I want right here," Edward whispered, running his hand over my back comfortingly.

_"A drop in the ocean,  
A change in the weather,  
I was praying that you and me might end up together.  
It's like wishing for rain as I stand in the desert,  
But I'm holding you closer than most,  
'Cause you are my_

_Heaven doesn't seem far away anymore no, no"_

"I love you, Edward."

At the words, he stopped moving and pressed his finger under my chin to tilt my head up to face him. "I love you too, Bella. I love you with every ounce of anything good that's left in my heart."

And then we kissed. Everything, everyone, all those skeptical eyes, it all faded away.

It was just he and I, and this beautiful moment between us. Our lips met with a glorious momentum that not even God herself could stop. We were entranced with each other. His tongue darted out and begged for entry between my lips, an entry I granted once my fingers were tangled in his hair. I held his face to mine with a passion, a frenzy that begged him never to leave me again.

Then, he pulled away and pressed his forehead to mine. We were breathing heavy, simultaneously turned on and exhausted from what had just happened. My head stopped spinning just in time to hear the collective gasp coming from the crowd.

Suddenly realizing what we'd done, I looked around frantically, almost appalled with myself. Some people were laughing, some had their hands pressed to their mouth in shock, and others were staring at Carlisle, trying to anticipate his next move.

Just then, Jake stood and started clapping. He was followed shortly thereafter by Alice and Jasper, then Rosalie and Tanya. There were a few whistles and hollers, but mostly, everyone was shocked.

Myself included.

I couldn't believe I'd just kissed him - right out in the open - like there was nothing wrong with it.

"Hey," he murmured, breaking me from my train of thought. "Let's get the fuck out of here, huh?"

I nodded eagerly, a huge smile breaking out across my face. He grabbed my hand and dragged me through the audience. It was only when we were dashing through the enormous casino floor that I realized Alice, Jasper, Jake and Rose had followed us out.

"That was - Awesome!" Jake managed to say in between laughs. "Did you see their faces?"

"It was classic," came an unfamiliar voice. It was Tanya. She had followed us out as well. "You've got quite the penchant for surprise, don't you, Edward?"

He just smirked and continued walking toward the back entrance. There was some more chatter from behind us, but I couldn't help but focus on Edward. He'd made it up to me. He'd been planning that for who knows how long, and it was perfection. With one dance and one passionate kiss, we'd collectively told that entire room to fuck off.

I'd never felt so free, or so out of control. It was emancipating, reviving. I felt like a teenager sneaking out of my parents' house in the dead of night. After the skydive this morning and this little episode, I felt like a completely different person. Old Bella would never have jumped out of a plane. Old Bella would never have let that scene unfold the way it did. But New Bella just didn't give a shit anymore. New Bella just let go.

Outside the back door, a stretch limo waited for us. Edward and I barreled into the back seat, closely followed by Alice and Jasper, who sat on the side sofa next to us. Jake was next, then Rosalie and Tanya.

"You guys are fucking out of your minds!" Tanya shouted in excitement. "Did you see the look on Carlisle's face?" She started laughing hysterically.

"And Jenks starting cussing up a whirlwind," Rosalie added. "All, 'What the fuck does she think she's doing?' and 'She's acting like a god damned idiot, like a fucking jackass.'"

"He called me a jackass?" I spoke up with a chuckle.

"It was outrageous," Alice explained. "You're in deep, deep shit, my dear."

"Well, everyone knows now," Edward started. "There's no going back."

"No going back, indeed," I commented.

"So, where are we headed?" Jasper asked in his deep southern twang, wrapping his arm around Alice's shoulders.

"The Palms, right?" Tanya answered.

"No, Caesar's Palace," Edward corrected. "Booked a VIP room. It's elusive, out of the way. And no one knows we're going there."

Jake, Rosalie and Tanya started commenting on people they saw out of the windows, and Jasper and Alice tuned into each other. When they typically did that, nobody else mattered. That left me with Edward all to myself.

"How long have you been planning that little number?" I snorted, referring to the dance at the banquet.

"Since I saw you dancing with Will last week," he replied, kissing my forehead tenderly. "Didn't seem right."

I chuckled and pressed my lips to his. The pressure of our secret was gone, completely lifted off my shoulders. No one can possibly know the extent of the relief I felt because of this fact. My life suddenly seemed so - uncomplicated.

I might get fired.

Oh, well. I'd already kind of decided that was what I wanted anyway.

As long as I had Edward, nothing else seemed to matter. I was so ready, so willing, to throw my entire life away for him, and for the first time in my life, that didn't scare me. I'd let go of more than a plane when I skydived this morning. I'd let go of everything inside of me that was terrified of uncertainty. Things were very much up in the air at the moment, and I couldn't care less. And that feeling, that apathy, was incredibly liberating. I had not a care in the world, and I loved it.

Once we arrived at Caesar's Palace, the driver opened our door for us and we discreetly made our way inside. Edward had secured a VIP table at the club_, Pure. _ It was, by far, one of the classier after hours places in Vegas, and we'd have an entire room to ourselves. Everything in this place screamed elegance and finesse, from the white leather couches to the snazzy illuminated flooring. The tables were chic and made of glass, and the walls were covered in purple lighting.

Each reserved VIP table came with a few bottles of top shelf whatever-you-want, and Edward had chosen Vodka, Whiskey, and Scotch to get the night started.

"Wow," Rose mused as we walked through the club and up the stairs to our designated section. "This place is amazing."

"Tell me about it," Jake chimed in.

"Why'd you chose this place, Edward?" Alice asked once we had been shown our table and taken our seats.

"Heard very good things," he answered, wrapping his arm over the top of my seat.

"Hmm," she murmured, her eyes narrowing on him in the same fashion with which she always looked at him. I sat down next to Edward, who pressed his lips to the side of my head. "You alright?" he asked.

I smiled and nodded to reassure him. When everyone was seated and first round of drinks had arrived, Jake raised his glass and stood. "I'd like to make a toast," he announced before looking at me with a wink. "To Bella, my best friend in the whole world. May the road always rise to meet you, may the wind always be at your back, and may the sun always shine upon your face."

"Gosh," Rosalie whined. "You sound just like pappy."

Jasper and Alice laughed, but Jake only cleared his throat and continued. "You've always been very good to me. I couldn't have asked for a better friend. So, Edward, a word of caution. You hurt her in anyway, expect to find my size twelve rammed up your ass. And for once, I'm not talking about my dick."

"Likewise, Jacob Black," Edward replied.

Jake laughed and raised his glass a little higher. "Happy Birthday, Bells. We love ya. Cheers!"

We all tapped our glasses and I swallowed the liquid as fast as I could, that familiar sting shooting down my esophagus. We all laughed and talked and carried on throughout the night. We danced, got toasted (everyone except Alice), then danced some more. Alice and Jasper tapped out at about eleven because she was tired and her ever inflating belly was giving her heart burn.

I found myself saddened again by the thought of her leaving me. But I didn't focus on it too long. It was my birthday after all, and Rose and Tanya had talked me into climbing up on one of the platforms to shake my ass. How could I say no?

Eventually, Jake found someone he intended on hooking up with, as did Rosalie, and they wandered off God knows where to do God knows what. Tanya left not too long after that as well. Even though she teased at hooking up with a random stranger tonight, it was insanely clear that she missed Kate - and no one would ever replace what her wife had given her.

We'd had a great time, a party that was well needed and much deserved. It was everything that it should have been - and more.

But, as always, the time came to wrap things up. I was toasted, Edward was toasted, or at least so I thought, and the limo driver had just called to say he'd made it back from dropping off Tanya.

As we walked through the casino, Edward and I were all giggles. We chuckled at the absurdity of the banquet and how Jenks was bound to have my ass mounted to his mantle by tomorrow morning. But I just didn't care. I can't explain it. Whether it was the effect Edward had on me or the simple fact that I was tired of _all of this, _the apathy was overwhelming - nay, hysterical. I didn't care - but I was happy about it. In fact, I was cracking up.

Just as we made it to the doors, Edward leaned down to my ear and whispered, "You need to prepare yourself."

"For what?" I teased with a snicker.

"We walk through these doors, and we're completely exposed to them. They're waiting for us. All of them."

I took a deep breath and smiled nervously. "We could just stay here forever. Rent a room, party all night, sleep all day. Throw away our millions on cocaine and hookers."

He chuckled and pulled me closer to him, kissing my head. "Sounds like the life, huh?"

"Yeah right," I teased. "We're _way _too old for that. We were practically geezers in that club tonight."

"Nah, never too old," he replied. "You're never too old for anything." We'd finally made it to the entrance so we stopped and took a deep breath. "You ready?" he murmured.

I nodded and pushed the doors open. The first thing I saw was the limo. Then, it happened. Time seemed to slow down - way, way down.

_Flash! Flash! Flash!_

The lights were so bright and blinding that I could barely see. I was already drunk as it was, so the world spun around me at supersonic speed. Add in blindness, and hey, you've got a party.

_"Ms. Swan! How long has the relationship been going on?"_

I felt myself being pulling forward by the arm as a body smashed into me from the right. Then, the left. People were everywhere. I was suffocating, I was hyperventilating, I couldn't see, I just kept trudging forward because that's the direction I was being dragged.

_"Edward, do you know about William Dean and his relationship with Isabella? How do you feel about that?"_

_"When's the wedding?"_

_"Will you just get married here?"_

_Flash! Flash! Flash!_

Then, the lights dimmed and I could see him. Eleazar Michael. He stepped out of nowhere with that snakey smile stretched across his face. I could practically see the forked tongue dart out of his mouth. When we reached the limo, we paused for a few moments to let them have their pictures, and then we scrambled for the door, hopping in as fast as we could and shutting it behind us. Surprisingly, once I was inside the safety of the vehicle, I found myself laughing - laughing pretty hard. The press had finally gotten what it wanted, I had been exposed. Now, they could leave me alone.

It felt right. It felt good.

"You look exquisite when you smile like that," Edward muttered when the limo started moving.

Compliments from him never failed to make me blush. "Thank you."

"You should do it more often."

"I haven't had much occasion to smile lately."

"We should try to change that, huh?"

I nodded back toward the crowd. "You think they'll leave us alone? Now that they have what they want?"

"What they want is our heads on a silver platter." He shrugged. "But, eventually, they'll lose interest."

There was a moment between us where I couldn't help but sit there and stare at him. In this moment, I really evaluated him for the man that he was, and not who he pretended to be. Calm, beautiful, deadly. Stunning. He held every ounce of my attention whenever he was near me, and I doubted that would ever change. Why would it? There was this all consuming knowledge that I would love him always, no matter what happened to me or him or between us. He could break it off with me right here and now, and I'd probably spend the rest of my life pining for him. Sure, I'd like to say I could move on, marry another. But, in my heart, there would only be him. And it was because of everything he was that I felt this way. Not just the CEO or the pretty face or the buckets of money, but also the murderer and the criminal and the broken soul. Everything about him made him stronger, more appealing.

"Thank you for tonight, Edward," I said sweetly.

He looked up at me and smiled. Then, he uttered the three words that would change my life forever. They came out of nowhere, it seemed, but their impact rocked my very soul.

"Marry me, Bella," he muttered.

"What?" I blurted with a small chuckle. Surely, he must have been joking. This was a tease. This - This wasn't happening.

"Marry me," he said again. "Tonight. Right now."

I immediately started laughing. "Yeah, wouldn't that be just perfect? A shotgun wedding following the mass media slaughter? I can only imagine the look on Carlisle's face."

"We wouldn't have to tell him."

"And not to mention Jenks," I continued, not even hearing him. "Oh my god! Can you imagine? That would be quite the spectacle. I can just see the headlines now. 'After months of keeping their affair a secret, Edward Cullen and Isabella Swan tie the knot in Vegas. What does this mean for their companies and our country at large?' I mean, c'mon, Vegas of all places! Holy shit, they'd have a cow."

"Everyone you would want to be there is already in this city." His voice was so calm, collected, smooth. He'd thought this out. He - He actually meant it.

I suddenly met his eyes. They were radiating with thoughtfulness and sincerity - and nervousness.

_OH HOLY SHIT!_

He meant it. He actually meant every word. "Oh fuck," I stammered. "You're serious about this, aren't you?"

He blushed - actually fucking blushed. "I never thought I'd love someone the way that I love you, and I know it's only been a few months, but - Isabella Swan - I'd be honored to consider myself your husband."

I was speechless - absolutely shell shocked and silent. Was he actually proposing to me - like this? In Sin City? Without a ring? In a limo? While we both trashed on my birthday?

"Why?" I finally managed to squeak.

"Why not?"

And it hit me. Why not indeed. I'd been thinking it all along. I was so totally in love with him, so completely fulfilled by him. Getting married seemed like the right thing to do. It would really stick it to the media, not to mention Jenks and Carlisle.

How very _Romeo and Juliet. _

"We would want to keep it a secret, of course," Edward explained. "At least, until you're ready to tell everyone. But I can't spend another moment knowing someone could come out of nowhere and steal you from me."

"Edward," I reasoned. "That's silly. You know I love you - only you."

"I want you, forever. You - just the way you are. Everything you are."

"But that doesn't mean we have to get married. C'mon. Are you serious? That's practically ludicrous. We'd have to be out of our damned minds to do something like that."

He didn't seem to hear me. He just shook his head and smiled. And that's when he did it. He got down on his knees in the limo and pulled a small, rectangular box from his pocket. He flipped it open and revealed the most gorgeous ring I'd ever seen. It was princess cut, a single solitary diamond, plain but beautiful - just like me. My jaw fell to the floor. I wanted to put that stupid ring on my finger so damn bad, and I wanted to wear it and know it represented Edward's love for me - his devotion to me and me alone. I, too, didn't want someone to swoop in from nowhere and steal him away. A legal, binding contract could prevent that from happening.

But, on the other hand, a loud voice was screaming at me inside my head. It was screaming "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU THINKING?" Was I really considering this? I couldn't - I wouldn't. This was not the right time or place to marry Edward. Besides, it was too soon. It was a horrible political move, personally and professionally. If I thought Jenks was mad at me about the dinner, he'd be furious once he learned about a marriage to the enemy. Not to mention my real father. He deserved the opportunity to walk me down the aisle. He deserved to at least meet Edward before hand.

"This is ridiculous. Please don't put me in this situation - I can't say yes to this," I whispered softly, tears forming in the corners of my eyes.

"Why not?"

"What would everyone say?" I stammered. A sob caught at the back of my throat and I had to cough to disguise its true intention.

"Who cares?"

"My father, my mother. They deserve to be there. This - This just isn't right, Edward," I reasoned. "This isn't how I pictured my wedding would be."

"You _can _marry the same person more than once, ya' know," he rebutted.

I simply shook my head in response. The rights of it didn't justify the wrongs.

He leaned back in his seat, looking absolutely defeated. "I understand," he muttered. "It's okay."

Silent tears rolled down my cheeks

_Was I - Was I actually sad? About saying no?_

_Did I want to marry Edward?_

Right here? Right now?

In Sin City?

Would I accept his sloppy, drunken, back of a limo, down on two knees, fly by the seat of his pants, spur of the moment proposal?

And I suddenly couldn't help myself. I wanted the same things that he did. I wanted him. My Pygmalion. My artist. And I, his muse. It was right. It was the way it was supposed to be. We were supposed to get married - Tonight. Suddenly, I felt like everything in my life was leading up to this moment and nothing else mattered. The overwhelming joy of what I was thinking trumped both the rights and the wrongs of everything else that I was thinking. This was what was supposed to happen. This is what I wanted more than anything in the world.

"Okay," I muttered before I could stop myself from saying it. "Okay, let's do it."

"Really?" A smile the size of the Grand Canyon spread across his face. "Oh wait, you're fucking with me, aren't you?"

"No, I'm not. It's like you said. Why not, right? Why not?"

He fell to his knees again, took out the box and pushed the ring onto my finger. Then, he leaned in and kissed me. It was sweet, romantic, a hand brushing my cheek kind of moment. I felt utterly lost in him and this moment between us.

The next thing I knew, I was standing in the bathroom of the closest wedding chapel off the Vegas strip. Edward had gone ahead and was waiting for me at the altar.

I couldn't stop staring at myself in the mirror. The person staring back at me seemed so foreign, like my reflection had grown ten years since this morning.

Was it because I was getting married?

Was it because I didn't care anymore?

Or was it because I was finally happy?

Maybe it had to do with the fact that I went to bed last night wondering how in the world this was going to end up, and here I was making the decision for myself.

Whatever the case, this _was _happening, and so I decided I'd better get my ass up there before he came to his senses and realized this was, in fact, a very bad idea.

So, there I was - standing on the altar at the "Sweet Memories" wedding chapel with Elvis and the limo driver as our witnesses. The place was tacky, all the gawdy flowers and twinkling lights hanging from every which direction. It was the typical Las Vegas shotgun "we-do-weddings-and-annulments" establishment - the perfect place to get hitched in secret.

Edward took my hands in his and stared into my eyes as Jimmy, the guy who owned the place, read from his generic ceremony script.

"And so, marriage is not to be taken lightly, or entered into without just cause. Edward, please repeat after me." He paused and placed his hand over ours. "I - Edward Cullen - take thee - Isabella Swan - to be my lawfully wedded wife,"

Edward cleared his throat and smiled, repeating after Jimmy word for word. "In sickness and in health, for better or for worse, until death do us part."

"Very good, Edward," Jimmy joked. "Have you done this before?"

We both laughed and looked up at him awkwardly.

"I'm just playing," he teased. Then, he turned to me. "Isabella, your turn."

The words flowed out of my lips with grace and confidence, as if there was nothing in the world that would change my mind about doing this. "Until death do us part."

"Very good -" Jimmy started.

"But wait. One more thing," I cut in. "Edward, I promise to love you, no matter what you do or what happens to you. I promise to love you no matter what you tell me about your life or where you're planning on going from here. But I need you to promise me one last thing."

"Anything," he said confidently.

"Promise to rely on me. Promise to let me be on your team. Promise to_ tell_ me about your life or where you're planning on going. Promise to tell me what happens to you. Promise to always be honest with me, about everything."

I could see Jimmy's confused expression out of the corner of my eye, but I stayed locked on Edward. He tensed momentarily, then he laughed and nodded. "Yes, of course. I promise."

"Alright then," Father Jimmy continued. "If I may -"

I nodded.

"Okay. So, what God has ordained, let no man put asunder. By the power vested in me by the State of Nevada, I now pronounce you man and wife."

With a huge smile on my face, I leaned into Edward, my husband, and pressed my lips to his. He wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me in the air, spinning around in a few circles.

We'd done it. We'd gotten married. And there was no going back now. I couldn't be happier.

I knew at the time that it seemed a little reckless and that I'd catch a shit load of grief for doing it, but he was worth it. I loved him with every bone in my body, and there was nothing, _nothing,_ that would keep me from him. Smiling, I signed the marriage license, then Edward did. And before I knew it, I became Isabella Cullen.

Alice was gonna kill me.

When we were back at the Wynn, Edward and I giggled our way through the private entrance and up the elevators to my floor. When we got to the door, I smiled and pressed my lips to his one more time. "I suppose you need to be getting to your suite, huh?"

He raised an eyebrow and took a few steps back toward the door next to mine. Then, he slid his key into the lock and pushed it open. He'd booked the room next to mine. Raising an eyebrow, I took a few steps toward him and glanced inside.

Correction. Edward had booked the honeymoon suite next to mine.

I gasped and started to run towards the in ground hot tub smack dab in the middle of the suite, but Edward threw his arm around my waist to stop me. "I get to carry you across the threshold, remember?"

"Oh, right," I smirked. "How thoughtless of me."

He lifted me into his arms and carried me through the door. We walked into the living room and he put me down, gesturing to the adjoining door.

"I want you naked all night," he started. "But should you require some of your things, I wanted to make it easier for you."

"You really went all out, didn't you?" I teased.

"I suppose."

"And you assumed I'd say yes?"

"If you didn't, I was going to blame it all on your birthday."

"Hmm," I mused, taking a few steps toward him. I slowly started to unbutton his jacket and pushed it down his shoulders. "I want you naked all night as well. We really are a match made in heaven, huh?"

He smiled, that beautiful feature lighting up his entire face. Those emerald eyes lifted to meet my gaze. "Tell me what you want for your birthday, Mrs. Cullen?"

"Oh god!" I snorted with a laugh. "Don't call me that. It reminds me of your mother."

He chuckled, running his hands over my hair. When they fell to my shoulders, he paused and pressed his lips to my head. "I'll call you whatever you want, if you tell me."

"Well," I hummed. I pulled on his shirt and dragged him back towards the bedroom. Once there, I stepped out of my heels and kicked them to the side. Then, I unzipped my dress and slid it down my body. Standing in my bra and thigh high tights, I gestured toward the chair in the corner of the room. "Pull it to the end of the bed."

As he went to do so, I crawled into the king sized bed and laid down on my belly, balancing my weight on my elbows. Once the chair was a few feet from my face, Edward looked down at me expectantly.

"Go grab your sketchbook," I demanded.

Without any hesitation whatsoever, he took off into the other room. When he came back, he plopped down in the chair and cleared his throat nervously. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

"Absolutely." I nodded. "Will you draw me on our wedding night - please?"

One side of his mouth pulled into a beautiful smile. "Of course. If that's what you want."

"It's all I want."

"Bend your knees. Bring your feet up over your body," he suggested. I did as he asked and he blushed, dragging his pencil over the paper with that first, deliberate stroke.

A few moments of silence went by before I took a deep breath and looked up at him. "Tell me honestly. Where were you yesterday?"

His eyes shifted up to meet mine momentarily and he sighed. "Now's not the time for that conversation. Your birthday's not over yet." Then, he smiled and looked back down to his work.

"Sure, it is. We got married at 11:58 remember? Now it's one am. My birthday ended an hour ago."

The pencil kept moving across the paper. "Carlisle wants me to stay away from you."

"And you told him?"

"That I'd try. But I was terribly unsuccessful."

"So I see." I chuckled. "What will he do when he finds out we got married?"

"We've got a little while before that happens," Edward reasoned. "I didn't honestly think you'd say yes. I mean, I sort of knew that you'd come around. But I didn't think my plan would work that well."

"Yeah, it seems pretty outrageous. I still can't believe I did either." I went to brush a piece of hair out of my face.

He cleared his throat to stop me. "Try not to move - very much."

"Oh." Flustered, I returned my hand to where it was. "Sorry."

"It's okay. It's just -" He cleared his throat again. "You look beautiful just the way you are. I wanna make sure I do it justice."

I couldn't help the blush that filled my cheeks.

"And there, now it's complete," he added.

This moment between us was splendid, and I completely lost myself in it. I wasn't concerned with the consequences of what we'd done or what the world would do with us tomorrow. It didn't seem to matter. We'd made our bed, and now we just had to sleep in it. Something that neither of us had a problem with. His eyes on me were electrifying, sending goosebumps up and down every inch of my skin. I wanted his fingers on me, I wanted his lips pressed against mine, I wanted our bodies mingled on this bed.

But he just continued to scrape that pencil over his paper, up and down and side to side, looking up at me and then back down to his lap. It seemed like forever went by before he finally slowed and glanced up at me one last time.

"What?" I murmured. "Is it done?"

"It'll never be as good as the real thing."

"Let me see it."

"It's not finished. But -" He smiled and flipped his sketchbook closed. "I don't think I can keep myself off you anymore." Then he tossed the sketch to the side, stood and started unbuttoning his shirt. His fingers moved elegantly over the fabric, pushing each button through its hole, his eyes never leaving mine.

"Well, then," I started. "You better get yourself over here."

He smiled, slid his shirt down his arms and started on his belt. But I climbed up to my knees and crawled over to him, placing my hands over his to stop him. My face inches from his, I bit my bottom lip and pulled the leather free from its buckle. "I get to do this part," I muttered.

"Hmm," he murmured, wrapping his arms around my body. Warm, shaky fingertips slid down my spine, leaving a trail of quivering skin in their wake. I slid the button of his pants through its hole and slowly pushed the zipper down, taking my time to make sure I tortured my groom properly.

"It is your birthday, shouldn't I be doing most of the work?" he murmured, bring his face closer to mine. His tongue darted out and playfully touched my upper lip for a second before it drew back into his hiding place.

"You'd like that too much," I jested.

"Indeed," he insisted, sliding his hands under my thighs to lift me up. He flipped me back on the bed and hopped on top of me, finally bringing those lushious, pink lips to mine in extraordinary bliss. He still tasted like scotch, but mixed with that glorious flavor that was Edward; I'd forgotten how much I lived for it. I wrapped my arms around his neck and tangled my fingers in his hair, holding his head as close to mine as it could possibly get.

He was already aroused, his throbbing, aching muscle pressing into my pelvis with a need, a need that only I could satisfy. His head angled down to my neck, his tongue dancing playfully across the skin it found there, and then sliding down toward my collarbone. As those lips dipped further south and found my nipple, his right hand drew between my legs and began massaging my clit. At the contact, a moan barrelled out of the back of my throat. God, it felt amazing when he touched me, anywhere he touched me. Once he had deemed my pebbled nipple aroused to his liking, his head went even further south and ran those beautiful lips down my stomach and over my hip bones.

Then, he spread my legs and pushed them up over my body, bending them at the knees so my feet hung down by his shoulders. His warm, velvet tongue swept between my slit and dragged up toward my clit, pausing there so his lips could latch on. He sucked at me, and worked me into a frenzy. My fingers tangled in his hair, my pelvis rocked against his face and all I could do was bite down on my lip to keep from screaming.

One, then two fingers slid inside of me and I was all his. The world ceased to spin, we were floating and sinking at the same time, my very soul became a possession that lived to be consumed by him.

The tension built and built, and finally, my muscles seized down on him and my orgasm rocked through me. Every nerve in my body was on fire, shockwave after shockwave of ecstasy coursing through my veins.

He nuzzled against me until he was sure it was over and I'd ridden it to the end. Then, he pulled away and stood, climbing off the bed.

"Where are you -" I started to whimper.

"Patience, love," he murmured.

But, he wasn't gone long. He reached into the nightstand and was back on top of me within seconds. He pushed his boxers down to his feet and attached, what looked like, a bright pink ring around his -

Oh - fucking hell yeah.

He switched the vibrating cock ring to the on position, the quiet hum filling the silence in the air. Without any hesitation, he pried my legs apart again and filled me with that aching desire I'd longed to have for so long. His long shaft inside of me combined with those soft vibrations against my clit made the world start spinning again, this time faster and more violent than ever before.

"I've been saving this for a long, long time."

"Oh God," I groaned. "You're a bad, bad man to keep this from me."

He chuckled. "Oh, you like that, do you?"

His pace was slow, methodic, as if he didn't want to push things too quickly. In and out, in and out, the gentle prodding of his erection pushing at all the right places. The vibrations of his cock ring combined with the sensation of one hundred percent pure lust made my mind go absolutely blank. I was nothing if not obsessed with everything he was doing. The way his hands raked down my body, the soft goosebumps they left behind them, everything about our _wedding night _was all I could focus on.

My legs twisted behind him and my hands clawed at his back. I wanted him closer, deeper, harder. Our bodies rocked together, sending me into another spiral of a very surreal climax. I clamped down around his dick, needing it as far inside of me as it would get.

I was literally seeing stars when I heard a shout that broke me from my stupor. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought someone in the next suite was having a better time than we were. But, upon coming back to reality, I realized it was me - and that scream was coming from the depths of my own throat.

Edward stopped and met my gaze with a huge smile on his face. "Hey Mikey, I think she likes it."

I giggled and nodded, pulling his face down to mine. "Don't stop," I moaned against his lips.

"Never crossed my mind."

He thrust as far in as he could go, filling me completely. Not just physically, but emotionally and mentally as well. I was his - in every way I could be. The bliss seemed to last for hours and hours. He stretched me until I was sure I wouldn't be able to walk tomorrow, and then he worked me over some more.

Just when I thought I'd collapse from exhaustion, he pushed into me with determination and lifted my chin so my eyes were in line with his.

"I love you," he whispered.

I smiled, wrapping my arms around his neck tenderly. "I love you more."

"Impossible."

I felt him twitch inside of me, that familiar twinge of relief gracing his face. I knew he'd reached his own climax as well.

"Hmm," I hummed with pleasure in my tone. He rolled off me and on to his back, taking off the cock ring and throwing it to the night stand. "Promise me you'll fuck me like that every night and I imagine we'll be married for a long, long time."

He chuckled and pulled me into him, taking my left hand in his. He pressed his lips to my fingertips and twisted my ring around my finger. "You make noises like that everytime I fuck you, and you'll have no problems with me keeping that promise."

A few moments went by where I found myself hypnotized by the sound of his breathing. In and out, effortless gasps for air that left me reeling.

"So the cock ring can stay then?" he finally asked, drawing me in closer to him.

I laughed and nodded my head in agreement. "It's fabulous."

"I mean, I'm sure it's nothing compared to jumping out of a plane with William Dean," he joked in that sly, sarcastic tone I just adored.

I playfully smacked his chest. "Don't be jealous," I retorted. "Besides, I'd take you over Will any day."

"Well, I certainly hope so. You did marry me after all."

"Indeed I did. And I do love the things your tongue does to my body."

"Hmm," he muttered, pressing his lips to the side of my head.

Speaking of William Dean, I suddenly wondered if Edward knew of Will's suspicions, or if Edward had thought of them himself. "You know," I began, rolling over on my belly so that I could face him. I balanced my weight on my elbows and smiled innocently. "Will has some wild ideas about your father and his involvement in Irina's murder."

Edward's eyebrow perked in surprise. "Really? And what might those be?"

"I want to tell you to speak with him yourself, but I suppose that won't happen now that I've brought it up."

"Of course not."

"Will believes Carlisle paid to have her murdered, that she knew what was going on with you and him, that she was getting too close to the truth, too close to destroying everything. He thinks the guy they blamed, the guy who you thought was behind it, Will believes he was a patsy."

Edward licked his lips and ran a hand over his eyebrows. "And what gives him this idea?"

"He talked a big mess about you telling Carlisle that they had married and she was pregnant and that Carlisle would never condone a marriage. Will thought Carlisle would be coming after him, but when he found out about the "VOLTURI" case, he came after Irina to shut her up. Ya know, kill two birds with one stone kind of thing. He's got evidence of a money transfer from an account in Sweden to an unnamed account in Spain. He's also got documented phone calls from a pay phone in New York to the murderer's phone, or at least, the guy who came after you two."

"What pay phone?"

"The one on the other side of my building."

"And why did he tell you all of this?"

"He wants me to see who was making those calls. The pay phone is right under one of my surveillance cameras."

"Don't you think the FBI would have already confiscated those video tapes, especially if they were linked to the guy I shot?"

"Would Carlisle seriously have allowed that?" I reasoned. "Think about it. If he could bring down the CEO of a company he was desperate to acquire and shut the CIA up at the same time, why wouldn't he?"

"Because it involves murdering what might as well be his daughter," Edward argued.

"He ruined your life for this company, what makes you think he wouldn't ruin hers?"

"Ruin, yes. Murder, no," he added. "Besides, he would have sent someone in to confiscate them if he was really that worried about it."

"What if he didn't know that he was being taped?" I protested.

"He's smarter than that."

"Is he?"

He paused as if to really process the thought. Then, he just shrugged and shook his head.

"He would have sent you, wouldn't he?"

"Before he promoted me? Probably. Now, that my face is on every fucking gossip magazine? He just wants me to disappear into the shadows."

"Why?" I asked with confusion.

"You think this relationship will make us more likable, will shut up the media once and for all. You're sadly mistaken. They will make us look like idiots. They will take every story, every piece of footage they have, and twist it to their liking," Edward explained. "And your little escapade with Will this morning isn't going to help either. You'll be lucky if they don't make you out to be the CEO that uses her _feminine charms_ to her advantage."

"What are you saying?"

"They're going to make us look like whores, Bella. You, me, Will. I'm sure there's a team out there right now investigating every fucking little thing about our past, trying to see how to use it to make us look bad."

"But the public should love this, the public should - should - should eat this up."

"The public will do what the media tells them to do. Let's just hope Eleazar sticks to the plan."

"But -" I started to protest again. But he put his finger to my lips and shook his head.

"Enough about all of that. It's a special night. Can we just pretend everything about the situation is okay with everyone else?"

I nodded and put my head on his chest, wrapping an arm around his stomach. "Well, all I'm saying is that you should think about talking to him," I continued. "Talk to Will if you must. Hear him out - really listen to him. I think he might be on to something."

Edward rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You have such sweet pillow talk."

"Promise me you'll think about it," I pleaded. "Just - _think - _about it."

Pressing his lips to the top of my head once more, he sighed. "I promise."

"Good."

We fell asleep like that, completely wrapped up in each other. I was smitten, our love radiating through my bones. I had never been happier, nor have I since.

Sometime around dawn, I felt him shift and get out of bed. Instantly remembering the last time I'd woken up alone, I rolled over and reached for him. He wasn't there. I sat up, let the blanket fall to my waist, and squinted to find him. "Edward?" I croaked, my throat hoarse.

"Bella," I heard him whisper. A warm hand ran down my cheek and his lips pressed to my forehead. "I ordered some room service. Go back to sleep, I'll wake you when it gets here."

Nodding lazily, I put my head back on the pillow and drifted back to sleep. What seemed like only seconds later, I started smelling the sweet aroma of pancakes and eggs coming from the living room so I dragged my ass out of bed by myself. I ducked my arms into his shirt from last night and fastened a few buttons in the middle. Taking a left coming out of the room, I headed down the hallway and met eyes with Edward as soon as I turned the corner.

"I was just coming to get you," he explained, spreading some apple butter on toast. He gestured for me to sit at the table across from him, and so I did. He placed the plate of food in front of me and turned to fix himself something. Looking down at it, I smirked and shook my head. "Apple butter toast and scrambled eggs with cheese."

"It's still your favorite, right?"

"Ya' know. My dad used to make this for me whenever I'd go to visit him in Forks."

"That cracks me up, you and Forks," he commented, finally coming over to sit down next to me. He had a plate of scrambled eggs as well, joined by hashbrowns and two pieces of toast.

"Why do you find it so funny?" I smirked, taking a bite of food.

"You're just such a big time city girl. No one would ever guess you're from small town America."

"Well, I was raised here. But, yes, my birth certificate says Forks Memorial Hospital."

He laughed and took a bite of eggs. "When's your flight to LA?"

I looked at the time. Seven am. "Two hours."

"You better get a move on, huh?"

"I suppose. When's yours?"

He cleared his throat and took a drink of orange juice. "I need to tell you something," he added somberly.

"Uh oh, what?"

"I won't be with you in LA."

I paused, letting that sink in. "Why?"

"I've got to get back to New York. I've gotta clean out my office, get the paperwork ready for the merger. I've got to get away from you for a little while."

"Uh, well good thing you married me last night."

"It's the safest way, Bella. Safer for both of us."

"Safer how?"

"I've been thinking about what you said last night, about Carlisle and Irina. And I think there might be some truth to it. If that's the case, it's only a matter of time before he realizes I've told you everything. He might come after you if I stay. He might come after us both."

"Uhh -" I awkwardly cleared my throat. "I've already told him that I know everything."

"What?" Edward snapped.

"I was trying to figure out where you were in Houston. I was angry. I wanted to make him as mad as I was. It just came out," I pleaded, trying to make it sound not as bad as it already was.

"Well, then. We haven't got much more time left, do we?"

"Wait, wait. You really think Will was telling the truth? That Carlisle did have Irina murdered?"

"All I know is that I've got to get back to New York before Carlisle does. I've gotta figure it all out. In the meantime, it's better if we stay apart - at least publicly. No reason to provoke him any further."

"I don't like that," I argued. "We're stronger together."

"I don't like it either, but I can't stand to lose you, Bella. It's the only way I can make sure we're both safe. I can't have another person's blood on my hands, alright? Especially not yours."

"Edward -" I started to whine.

"I've spent years thinking I was the one responsible for her death, Bella. If this can clear my conscious, I've got to look into it. And I can't do it with him breathing down my neck. He'll grow suspicious, he'll figure out what I'm doing. If he's in LA with you, I know we're both safe. The media is going to be on you, following your every move. He won't have the chance to hurt you there. By the time you get back to New York, I'll be able to watch out for you."

I sighed with discomfort. I had no choice but to agree, but that doesn't mean I could give up without a fight.

"Why do you think I married you, huh?" he continued. "You're mine now. And nothing's going to change that. It's a few days apart. Just a few days."

He pressed his lips against the side of my head tenderly.

"You asked me to be honest with you. I am. Now, I need you to trust me. Please," he continued.

A few grumbles later, he had me nodding my head in agreement. "Alright. I trust you."

"But I'll be there as soon as you get home, okay?" he continued. "You're not going to be alone in this. I promised I'd be honest with you, I promised I'd let you into this fucked up world that has become my life. I intend to do so. I'm not going to abandon you. We're in this together now."

Narrowing my eyes in on him, I said, "You bet your sweet ass we are," and smiled.

_**A/N: I know it's been a while since I updated, probably the longest I've ever gone. I do apologize for that. A few pieces of news. I was nominated for a "Walk of Fame Award," in the Mistress of Mystery category. It's a great honor to have even been nominated, so THANK YOU to everyone who helped with that. If you wouldn't mind taking a second to vote for me, the link is on my profile. I know I'm up against some heavy hitters with a HUGE following, so every vote helps. Voting ends Jan 31.**_

_**Thanks for reading and please be sure to leave a review. What was your favorite part? What's gonna happen next? How do you think this is all gonna end?**_


	28. The Phoenix, Two Guns & a Heart to Heart

_**A/N: So, I know I've been away forever and I apologize for that. I spent the time rereading the story, fixing continuity errors and finding all the loose ends so I can tie them together. However, if you didn't already see on my blog, Spy Games is now, officially, complete! There is one more chapter after this one and an epilogue. I will post the next chapter next week. I know I said I would post this one on August 8th, but I got it done early and thought I would give you guys a "Happy Friday" present. So here it is, from me to you, with love. **_

**_The song for this chapter is "Little Lion Man" by Mumford and Sons. _**

**_Chapter 28_**

"_**The Phoenix, Two Guns and a Heart to Heart." **_

When I stepped off the plane from Los Angeles, I was blasted with bitter cold New York City air and knew I was home. The salty sting of the Hudson River's deep musk hit my nostrils and I breathed it in deeply, relishing in the fact that I had only one more convention to get through and then I was done.

Nothing spectacular happened in LA. The press was relentless, hounding me for information I had no intention of giving them. Jenks had left right from Vegas to get back to New York, so I'd yet to see him since the banquet and I could only imagine the raft of shit he had in store for me. I knew he'd left me a ton of messages after I bolted from the dance floor in Vegas, but I didn't bother to listen to them. I'm sure they all sounded the same.

The ride back to the apartment Alice shared with Jasper was relatively silent. It wasn't that there was tension between us, but these convention voyages always had the same effect. I gave them all my energy, literally everything I had, and by the time I got back to New York, I was more exhausted than anything else. As soon as I'd given them a hug and wished them a good night, I got back in the limo and dialed Edward. It rang a few times until I got his voicemail.

_Again._

I'd tried to call him several times while I was in LA, not to very much avail. I'd been married three days now and had spoken to my husband a total of four times. Hiding that fact from Alice was tough enough, not to mention keeping it from the public. I wore my wedding ring on a chain around my neck and we'd paid the owner of the Vegas chapel a hefty sum to keep his mouth shut. It would probably be about a week or two until the marriage was entered into the public records, so that gave us just enough time to get the merger paperwork signed and get Edward off the main radar. Once the hybrid company was in my hands and my hands alone, I could nominate my own replacement and get away from the entire nonsense. The last time I talked to him, Edward said he was on to something hot, something that would make Carlisle crumple at the knees. But he didn't tell me exactly what that might have been. He said it would be better to tell me in person. The phone lines weren't secure anymore.

I half expected him to be waiting for me at the lobby of our apartment complex when I got there, even though I knew that was ridiculous. We had to stay separate right now. After the immediate outcry at our behavior in Vegas, (believe me - people were going apeshit) the best thing to do was to remain low key and away from each other. There was no need to antagonize Carlisle and Jenks any further.

But, that didn't stop the paparazzi from following me from the airport to my loft, and only when my doorman shuttled them back to let me inside did the flashing subside.

All the questions, all the rumors, all the nonsense. Even after I'd willingly fed myself to the wolves, so to speak, they still wouldn't leave me in peace. They had their story. It would hit newsstands tomorrow morning, no doubt, and my naked ass would be plastered to every newspaper nationwide. But everyone wanted a damned statement nonetheless.

What exactly did they expect me to say? "_Yes, we're fucking?"_

Surely, I announced that was the case when I made out with my enemy in front of hundreds of people. But no matter. What's done was done, right? No sense in fretting about it now. Like I learned free falling over Las Vegas, let it go.

The familiar lobby seemed like a distant memory, having been gone for over two weeks, and once I'd pressed the up button for the elevator, a ton of images flooded my conscious. The doors opened and I stood there, staring at the wall where Edward had me cornered on our first night together.

Don't get me wrong, I was absolutely positive marrying him was the right decision. But, damn, I'd managed to fuck this whole thing ten ways to Sunday. How innocent that night in the elevator seemed compared to what had happened because of it. Things were so - uncomplicated. And what was really mind boggling was the fact that I'd thought it so completely fucked at the time.

I thought _that_ was conflicted? Hah! I didn't know the meaning of the word.

Sighing, I entered the elevator and pushed the button for my floor, realizing just how far I'd come in such a short time. Fourteen days of conventions had brought about a complete one eighty in the way I looked at everything, life especially. I'd gone from being a woman wound so tightly in her professional life that she had no personal life to speak of to being completely apathetic about that very same business, revolving only around what little personal affections I'd managed to carve out for myself.

Edward wasn't perfect, by any means.

But neither was I.

We deserved each other in some respect.

As the doors parted on floor fifteen, I grabbed my two rolling duffles and took a few steps into the hall, glaring down the corridor with resolve. I felt like I finally figured out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, and it didn't involve anything I thought I'd want two weeks ago. I left this loft terrified of losing everything I'd ever worked for, only to confront those fears in the most public way imaginable. And now I was coming back with a fury, like a phoenix rising from its own ashes and hell bent on getting it's revenge. I'd overcome everything anyone had thrown at me. I'd managed to make my way out of things somewhat unscathed, if you don't count the tussle with Scotty-pants.

I passed loft of the father of two at the end of the hall and rounded the corner.

Where I promptly stopped dead in my tracks.

Somebody was slumped outside of my door. Slumped and leaning against the wall like it was the only thing holding it up.

"Hey," I heard myself say. A lump rose in my throat. "Hey - can I help you?"

I took a few unsteady steps forward, deciding to leave my bags where they were in case I needed to run or defend myself or something.

The figure stirred a little and groaned, pulling it's legs closer to it's torso as it tried to stand. It was then that I recognized the hair - a beautiful shade of bronze.

_Oh holy hell._

I raced over to him as fast as my feet could carry me, my heart thumping so hard in my chest that I could feel it pounding in my head. Adrenaline shot to every extremity. He was leaning away from me, so I couldn't see his face, but I knew what had happened before I got a good look at him. He'd been found out. His dad had caught him snooping, and he had paid dearly for it.

As soon as I dropped to my knees beside him, I glanced at his face and my breath caught at the back of my throat. He looked like he'd just been to his first night at Fight Club and Edward Norton had knocked the living hell out of him.

_"I just wanted to destroy something beautiful."_

"Edward -" I murmured, softly placing my hand on his shoulder. "W - what happened?"

He groaned and looked up at me, seemingly surprised that I was suddenly in front of him. "Bella?" he gargled.

I nodded and tried my best to keep my voice level when I replied. "Yeah, it's me. It's me."

"Am I at home?" he whimpered, taking in what little surroundings he could actually see. One of his eyelids was almost swollen shut and his other cheekbone was the size of a tennis ball; I wasn't sure he could see out of that side either.

"No, no. You're outside my loft. How long have you been here?" I was actually terrified of that answer.

He sighed and tried to stand, pushing against the wall to steady himself. "I don't know," he mumbled. When I realized he was in too much pain to actually get up, I ducked under his shoulder and wrapped my arms around his torso, to which he winced and let out a terrible gasp.

"Who did this to you?"

He didn't answer, and in all honesty, it was a stupid question. I knew exactly who had done this to him. And as soon as I saw that motherfucker tomorrow, I was going shove my foot so far up his ass, I'd be playing This Little Piggy with his molars.

With violently shaking hands, I reached into my purse and dug around for my loft keys, trying like hell not to drop them as I shoved the right one into the door. Edward and I fumbled into my foyer and over to the living room, where I promptly, and ever so delicately, sat him down on the sofa. He leaned back against my pillows and wrapped his arms around his chest with a groan.

"How bad is it?" I whispered, taking the spot next to him on the couch. "It looks pretty bad. I should take you to the hospit-"

I barely had the word out of my mouth before he reached over and grabbed my wrist forcefully. "No - Doctors," he demanded through clenched teeth. One side of his jaw was so much bigger than the other, it was a wonder he could talk at all.

"Edward," I argued.

"Swear it to me."

"What?" I recoiled with disapproval.

"No doctors. Swear it."

"Okay." I let the word linger between us, my inner conflict bubbling over the surface. Every part of me wanted to call an ambulance, but, Edward had known his father longer. He was probably right, and getting doctors involved might mean dragging other innocent people into this mess. "What can I do?"

"Get some gauze," he grumbled, the slight wheeze of his swollen nostril and possibly broken nose adding a somewhat dramatic effect to his command. "And call my brother."

"Your brother?"

"Emmett. His number's in your phone. He'll answer if you call." He took short pauses in between each sentence, like every word was a struggle, every syllable a strain on his face.

"Okay," I answered. Remembering that my duffles were still down at the end of the hallway, I stood and took a few steps toward my foyer. "Edward, I'm going to grab my stuff okay? I'll be right back, and then I'll call him. Don't fall asleep."

I'd heard horror stories of people with concussions slipping unconscious and never waking back up. Then again, he was stone cold out of it before I'd found him at my door. So maybe that was just an old wives tale. I decided I didn't want to chance it.

He moaned something in return, but I was halfway out the door by the time he said it. I grabbed my things and raced back to my loft, dumping everything by my breakfast bar in the kitchen. By the time I whipped my cellphone out of my purse and looked back at my husband, his eyes were shut and his head was lolled back on his shoulders, like the weight was too heavy for his neck to bare.

"Edward!" I shouted. "Hey! Wake up. You can't fall asleep like this."

I thought about shaking him conscious, but that would take more time - time we probably didn't have. I found Emmett's number in my contact list and hit call without so much as a second thought. I had no idea what I was going to say to him, hell, what I was allowed to say. Edward told me the phones weren't safe, that his father had tapped them a while ago. And if that was the case, how was I supposed to tell Emmett that his father had kicked the shit out of his brother for snooping and that I needed his help?

He answered after the second ring. "Hello?" Emmett's voice was just a tad lower than Edwards, but if I hadn't spent every waking minute of the last three months with him, I'd say they were the same person. They sounded freakishly similar.

"Is this Emmett Cullen?"

"Depends on who wants to know."

"It's Bella Swan."

"Okay."

"Are you - missing anybody?"

"Perhaps."

"Like a brother?"

"Where are you?" His tone became increasingly more urgent, more desperate. Maybe Edward had been sitting outside my door longer than I imagined.

"My loft."

"Is he okay?"

_Not really._ I immediately thought. But then again, how much was too much to say over the phone? Christ, and what if my apartment was bugged? I'd worry about that in a minute. I had to get Emmett here first. "Are you in the area?"

"You live two floors down from Edward and Kate, right?"

"1503."

I heard a crunching noise, like he'd just slid a chip or something in his mouth, and then a groan of approval. "I'll be there in ten minutes."

There was a feminine voice somewhere in the distance behind him, a high pitched noise that I'd recognize anywhere. "Is that - Is that Rose?"

Silence. Then, "maybe."

I thought about how vague Edward had been at the start of our relationship and realized that trait must run in the family. "Bring her with you."

"Of course."

The next ten minutes were the most tense of my life. I spent them pacing around the living room and trying my best to patch up my husbands face. The cut on his cheek was the worst, at least from what I could tell. The bone was definitely broken, I could see the uneven crack under the skin. The laceration was deep, and was definitely the source of most the blood on his shirt.

While I was thinking about it, I unbuttoned his polo and eased it up over his head, trying to be as gentle as I possibly could. Crumpling it into a ball, I threw it across the living room where it landed in the general vicinity of the trash. No sense in saving that, the stains would never come out. Then, I took the gauze and squirted some hydrogen peroxide on the end of it, dabbing it lightly against his cheek. He groaned and pulled away from it, but those eyes didn't open so I keep pressing. It bubbled and oozed, but was still bleeding.

Sighing, I realized it would need stitches and there was nothing more I could do here. He'd definitely need someone with a stronger stomach and a steadier hand.

When Emmett finally did get there, he barged through my door like a steam train, destination in sight. He rushed right over to Edward carrying what I assumed was some sort of medical bag. Rose, on the other hand, wrapped her arms around me and pulled me into her chest.

"What happened to you, man?" Emmett groaned. He immediately set to pinching and poking at Edward's face.

"You know what happened," I heard Edward mutter in response. "Lucius."

"That bastard. He would kill his own children if the price was right."

"I got close," Edward continued.

"How close?"

"He used an ATM two blocks away from the place where they said the shooter lived. He's got contacts, addresses, hidden bank accounts, all kinds of shit in his home computer," Edward started to explain.

"Did you get into the laptop?"

Edward shook his head. "Lucius found me before that. There were four of them; I didn't stand a fucking chance."

"Shit!" Emmett croaked.

"I've already got Ollie working on the surveillance for the night -" I started.

"That's good, though I don't think he would have made the call himself. The man's smart, and you already know he doesn't do his own dirty work," Emmett explained. "If we found something in his computer connecting him to Lamar, that would be better."

"Lamar?" My ears perked.

"The shooter. The man who claimed to be from Zeneaux," he continued. "Let me ask you this - how much do you trust William Dean?"

The question took me off guard. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"He's the one who told you Lamar was Ex-Marine, right? Black ops or some shit? The police identified the shooter as Lamar Jenkins, and Dean was right, he was Ex-Military, and wanted in connection with numerous violent crimes in America. Seems too perfect, doesn't it? But the police were also able to dig up a huge money transfer from Peter Cruz to an account in Lamar's name, which is why Mr. Cruz is now serving twenty five to life in some third rate Spanish prison," Emmett elaborated, pinching and pulling at certain parts of Edward's face.

"Peter got pissed that Edward hijacked his company. Peter paid Lamar the huge chunk o' change, and Lamar pulled the trigger, end of story. Police initially thought he'd shot Irina for lack of a better option, what else would he do with a witness? Edward was supposed to be alone." Emmett reached into his bag and pulled out a surgical needle, followed by what looked like thick, brown floss. Then, he grabbed a needle, pulled off the lid with his teeth and started sticking Edward around his cut.

_Stitches._

How typical of their dynamic. Edward's father broke him to pieces, his little brother put him back together again.

"But," Emmett started again. "if we could prove that the money transfer was a fake, or something Carlisle somehow set up, we'd essentially have our smoking gun. I need to know if you trust Dean because, well, if we do this, and we're wrong, it could blow up in all of our faces, in a big way. Carlisle's a powerful man, and he does not forgive easily. We'd be fucked."

I thought about it for a second, thought about the way Will looked when he told me the story, the way he looked when he thought about Irina and what happened that night. I was particularly good at reading people, with the exception of one person, and I married that man. There was not a bone in my body that thought Dean would make that all up. Charming and witty, he may be, but I doubted he was that good of an actor. The pain rolling off him when he told me what happened was almost stifling. "I trust him. I believe everything he told me was true, or at least, he thought it was true."

"Well then, let's figure this shit out, shall we?" Edward garbled.

"I have a ginormous needle two inches from your eye ball. Do. Not. Move." Emmett smirked, jerking Edward's head back on the pillows.

"Uh - one problem. Even if we did find something on Carlisle's computer, don't you need a search warrant or something for it to be considered legit? All I see are more legal problems," I added.

"She's got a point," Edward added. "But, surely, I've thought of that."

"And?" I continued.

"That's where you come in."

"Tell me, Bella. Did you take theater in high school?" Emmett asked with a hint of a small smile. "Because you're going to need to act your ass off."

Emmett and Rose stayed until the wee hours of the morning trying to think of the best way to break the giant, to bring him down crumpling. But, everything we discussed hypothetically ended in disaster. Except for one thing.

Me.

It all came down to me.

I was the only one who could get close enough to Carlisle. With the upcoming merger, he'd be at Dyco headquarters just about everyday, for hours on end. There'd be board meetings and marketing campaigns and endless hours of drabble drabble drabble. During which, he'd be on my territory, with my eyes and ears watching, completely at my disposal.

We all decided that Edward had to drop off the radar for a while. With his face being what it was, he certainly couldn't go out in public, and now that Carlisle knew Edward was on to him, it was only a matter of time before Lucius, whoever that fucker was, came back to finish the job.

The thought still plagued me though. If Carlisle thought Edward was on to him, wouldn't it go without saying that I was onto him as well? And if that was the case, wasn't I just as big a threat to him as Edward?

I decided to start carrying around a knife and a can of pepper spray, just in case.

By six am the next morning, I hadn't slept a wink, but I needed to get ready for the New York convention. It was the last one, (thank god,) and sure to be the most interesting. The news broke today, no doubt. Pictures of Edward and I in our secret embrace in the Baltimore Hilton. News of our passionate display of affection in Las Vegas. It was bound to be everywhere.

And when I stepped out of my Mercedes to walk into the New York Convention Center, I was almost knocked off my feet by the amount of reporters waiting for me - hungry and eager for any comment.

They whirled around me, engulfed me, and it was only when a beefy Security Guard damn near ripped my arm off to pull me inside that they stopped. This convention was invite only, since the media presence in New York was overwhelming, and there wasn't that much time or money allotted for every paparazzi or reporter on the Island to be welcomed.

The thought soothed me momentarily, thinking I could actually get through a press conference without a single personal question. That was until I took my spot on stage and I saw Eleazar Michael in the audience.

Ask he would, and ask he did.

Why did we finally decide to come out with it? Why the Las Vegas Convention? Did we plan the kiss ahead of time? How was the birthday party? What did we do after?

Finally, the Emcee got it together and ejected the fucker from the audience. I could feel the rage and frustration rolling off Carlisle from my right. I could only imagine what was going through his head right now, him and Jenks both.

After all the questions were asked and I weaseled my way around the personal ones, I stood to head to the luncheon. As soon as I got backstage, however, I felt a hand wrap around my bicep and rip me around.

"Carlisle? What the fuck-"

"Whatever it is that you think you're doing, I suggest you desist, at once. Jenks and I have our arrangement written, we meet with the Board tomorrow. The merger is going to happen, so you can tell your little boyfriend to stop nosing around in my things. I'll have no trouble from you, do you understand?"

It took everything I had to bite my tongue. I wanted to say, "He wasn't snooping for the merger," just to give him something to stew about for a while, but I didn't. Ultimately, I gave him a devious grin and innocently replied, "Why, Carlisle. Whatever do you mean?"

The other convention CEOs were filing out now, and how awkward and unprofessional it would look if my supposedly new found best friend, father of my lover, was seen treating me like a little girl. He let go and took a few steps back.

"That was your warning, Isabella Swan. Next time, I might not be so easy on you."

"Ouu - I'm shaking in my little space boots." And I gave him the finger. "Come and get me, big boy."

Carlisle started walking away, but yelled over his shoulder, "Listen to that mouth on you. No wonder my son's obsessed."

"That's right, and don't you dare forget it. My mouth works wonders. So think about that before you ever threaten me again, or Edward for that matter. You want this merger, you should be kissing the ground I walk on."

That stopped him. But it didn't stop me. I turned on my heels and walked away.

That's right, fucker. I'm on to you.

By the time the dinner banquet came around, I still hadn't seen Jenks, nor had he called me. But he was present at our table, as were Mrs. Jenks, Rose, Alice and - Jessica? What the hell was she doing here?

Swallowing my pride, I took a step forward but was halted by a low, British voice in my right ear.

"You didn't invite me to your soirée," Will whispered.

One side of my mouth pulled into a smile. "Yeah, sorry about that. Even I was kept in the dark until the last possible second."

"Eh," he grunted, stepping around to my side. "I've been stood up before, by much more tempting prospects."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Once I saw you running out of the convention center, I'd all but forgotten about tagging along, honestly. I couldn't keep myself from laughing."

"I think you were probably the only one."

"That's a fair assessment. Everyone else was either in a state of shock or fury. It's a wonder your Mr. Jenks didn't have a heart attack. His face was as red as the devil's arse."

I felt my stomach drop, knowing I was in for a huge lecture. Not only had I directly disobeyed him, but I'd made a huge spectacle out of the whole she-bang.

"Yeah, that's about what I suspected."

"No worries, love. If things fall through, there's always a spot for you at Dean Industries."

"Oh yeah?" I quirked an eyebrow defiantly. "And what would you do with your current CEO?"

"Me? Why, I'd retire. Sky dive first thing every morning, be drunk by noon every day."

"Then, why do you do keep at it? All these - hyenas." I gestured to all the guests. "Day in and day out. It's enough to drive you crazy."

"Haven't found anyone to run my business better than me." He took a sip of his scotch and smiled. "Until I met you." Then, he reached his elbow out and gestured for me to take it. "Shall we?"

I returned his grin and took his arm while we started walking towards my table. "After this is all over, you make me an offer I can't refuse, and I'm all yours," I murmured to him.

His eyebrows furrowed and he stopped, giving me a peculiar look before pulling me back over to the wall. "After what is over?"

"You know, what you told me on the plane."

"Did you find the security video?"

"No, even better. I've got spies on the inside."

"Who?"

"Never you mind, Mister," I retorted. "I've seen enough James Bond movies to know you never reveal the whole plan to anyone. And you definitely don't tell someone not even involved in the plan."

"Bella -"

"I'm serious, Will. I need you to remain anonymous. I need you to keep up the good show, make sure you don't get involved. I really might need to take you up on that offer, and if you don't have a company anymore, that makes it a little hard for me to work for you."

"Need I remind you that it was me who brought this to your attention in the first place."

"Yes, and now you've handed me the reins. I've got it. Trust me, back out."

He raised an eyebrow, suspiciously.

"Oh what?" I snorted. "You offer to hand control of your company over to me, you con me into boarding your airplane and then shove me out of it, and you can stand there and actually say _you_ don't trust _me_?"

"I didn't say that," he immediately rebuffed. "I don't trust Edward. One threatening peep out of Carlisle and Edward will spill the beans. I know this. It's happened before."

"It's different this time."

"Oh yeah? And how so?"

"Because I _married_ him," I hissed, so softly that no one else could hear besides Will. The look on his face was priceless. Christ, he was so surprised, you'd have thought I'd just told him the government reinstated prohibition.

"You did - what?"

But that was the end of this discussion. The lights started to dim and the Emcee made his was on stage to start the ceremony. I marched right over to that table, and took my seat, much to the surprise of Mr. & Mrs. Jenks, who either didn't expect me or hadn't thought I really had the balls to show up.

"Evening, everyone," I sputtered, scooting my chair in under me.

"Isabella," Jenks grumbled in that annoying tone of his that always makes me feel like a child again.

"Jason," I mocked. "Charmed, Mrs. Jenks, of course."

"I'm delighted to see you, no doubt," Jenks said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "I trust everything went well in Los Angeles?"

"Of course."

"You left quite the mess to be cleaned up in Nevada, I might add."

"Nothing you couldn't handle, I'll bet," I replied.

"Nothing Ms. Stanley couldn't handle," Jenks corrected. "Might I ask, why is it, exactly, that you're here?"

"The speech - the presentation."

"Jessica's got that all prepared. There's no reason -"

I cut him off. "No reason? I'm the CEO. There's every reason for me to be here. This is my gig."

"Not as of Monday."

"As in - You're firing me?"

"I expect your resignation tomorrow morning."

"Oh yeah? Or you'll do what, exactly?"

"There's nothing I need do, precisely. Only make a few suggestions to the board - if they already don't think you should go."

"Hmm, I see." I turned to Jessica. "Say, how are your sales doing these days? Things keeping afloat?"

"Sky rocketing is more like it. Yesterday and today have been outrageous."

"Right." Then, I turned to Alice. "Stock figures?"

"Up four points since lunch time."

"And there you have it, Jenks, you pudgy ole' fart. You wanna get rid of me, I'd like to see you try. But you know as well as I do that walking into that board room tomorrow isn't going to change a damn thing." I was hoping it was true anyway. There was a very good possibility that what I was saying right now was utter and complete bullshit. But the fact of the matter was, I was born with a killer poker face. So, all I had to do was sit here and stare him down, and he'd budge. "I'm the best decision you ever made about this company and you bloody well know it."

"Amen," Mrs. Jenks cut in.

"I'll not have someone running my company whose personal life is in such utter disarray. Do you honestly think the board won't do exactly what I tell them?"

"I think the board turned on you the second you signed a deal with Carlisle without telling them about it, and then allowed it to leak to the public, again without telling them about it." And that was all speculative bullshit as well. The board could be calling me a slut and signing my separation papers right now, and I'd be none the wiser. "In fact, as I sit here, I'm beginning to wonder what you're doing here. You haven't done a damn thing right for this company in years."

He shot me a pointed look, and that successfully ended the discussion for the evening. When it came time for our company to present, I took the flashcards from Jessica and made the speech myself.

"Heard any good rumors, lately?" I started, and the crowd lightened up drastically. What good was making mistakes if you couldn't make fun of yourself afterward? "Don't believe a word of it. It's all lies."

I made my speech, I said the lines, I wooed the audience. The applause afterward seemed genuine enough, but I was still seething from my session with Jenks earlier. He was right, of course. With one word to the board, my ass was grass. But I was betting he didn't do anything of the sort.

After the banquet was over, I gathering my things to leave when he stopped by to tell me so. Reeking of cigar smoke and stale brandy, he grabbed me by the back of my arm and leaned into my ear.

"Perhaps I was wrong about you, Isabella. It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to me when I'm being unreasonable, and I commend you for that. I've known only one other woman who can do it, and I married her. There's a small chance that I've been irrational about the whole nonsense."

"Irrational? I'm glad you feel that way." Now, that was really suspicious. What the hell had happened between the time I went on stage and the time I came off?

I didn't have time to worry about it. I shot Carlisle Cullen an ugly glare, waved to Tanya, and took off for the parking garage where I'd parked my Merc. Somehow, someway the media had cleared out, and there was absolutely no one around. I honestly couldn't remember the last time that had happened. I decided I'd head back to my loft where I'd undoubtedly find my broken husband drinking his way through my modest liquor cabinet.

I hadn't been home in over two weeks, so everything in my fridge was either moldy or smelled like some sort of failed science experiment. So, I figured I would stop and get Chinese take out on the way home. I think he liked the Kung-Pow chicken, so maybe I'd get that for him. Or, on second thought, the spicy sauce might not bode well with the ginormous cut on his lip, so maybe something like Chicken and Broccoli, something with a soy sauce base.

No sooner had I started debating dinner options than I realized Tanya, somehow, had beaten me to the Mercedes, and was leaning against my drivers side door, long legs and arms crossed in front of her.

"Hey, Tanya. What's up?" I asked, completely oblivious to the scowl on her forehead.

"Hey. What's happenin' Cos?"

Cos? What the hell - Oh. Uh oh.

"So, you two ditch the rest of us and decide to run off and get MARRIED? Are you fucking kidding me?" she shouted.

"Shhh!" I immediately hushed her and gestured to the other side of the car. "Get in. We're going to the same place, right?"

"Well, I did have an after party to crash -" she replied sarcastically.

"Shut up, Tanya. You want the story or not?"

"Is my cousin still at your place?"

"You think I'm gonna' tell you?"

"Listen, I'm the only one who's been on the inside since the beginning. You wanna bring Carlisle down, you've gotta go through me."

"Who said anything -" But I cut myself off. Who else would it have been? "Emmett."

"Of course, it was Emmett. Boy hasn't been able to keep anything from me since he was five."

"Tanya - I really don't wanna bring you into this. It isn't your concern."

"Not my concern? Must I remind you it was _my_ sister he had murdered."

"So you think he did it too?"

Instead of outright answering my question, she only said, "you're going to need my help. Trust me."

I really didn't want anyone else involved in this, least of all her. She'd been helping Edward do Carlisle's dirty work for too long now, who knew what side she was really on. She could be spying on me for Carlisle's sake for all I knew.

But Emmett trusted her - enough to tell her about the wedding, enough to tell her I was up to something, enough to tell her I knew where Edward was. My only question was why Emmett didn't tell her everything himself.

"Okay, get in."

She didn't waste anymore time, just walked around to the passenger side, opened the door and hopped in. On the seemingly short ride home, I explained exactly what we were going to do, how I was the bait, how we were going to try to recreate what happened that night Irina died, and try to get him to man up to his own work for once.

But we had to be careful. If the wrong person found out about this and it somehow got back to Carlisle that not only was his first born son master-minding a scheme to bring him down, but that his other children, natural and adopted, were in on it as well, and it was all being spearheaded by his competition, soon to be CEO, he'd blow a fricking gasket, and who knew where we'd all end up.

"Okay," she started, seeming to process everything quickly. "You need to get Edward out of here. He won't want to go, I know this. But he's already got a target painted on his back, and now Carlisle knows he's been snooping, it's only a matter of time before Lucius finishes what he started."

"So, get Edward out of town, check. What else do you suggest, almighty helpful one?"

Her blue eyes narrowed on me for just a moment before she smiled and gave a small shrug. "What say you to an off the record mission?"

"You've got my attention."

"Ugh, I really didn't want to have to do this tonight," she grumbled, probably more to herself than to me.

"Do what?"

"We're not going back to the loft," she stated plainly, like that was a fact and not to be argued.

"What are you talking about? Why? What's the mission?"

"Just drive. I'll tell you where to go," she said, and for some reason, I trusted her. Call me crazy, because you certainly will later, but something in her voice, her conviction, had me bucking a U and heading uptown. Way, way, uptown.

It was quarter to midnight by the time we pulled up outside of Chez Cullen. I'd started to realize where we were going before we actually got here, but for some reason, I kept on driving.

"Can I ask what we're doing here?" I said softly, turning off the headlights.

"What do you think we're doing here? Getting evidence, duh."

"Evidence?"

"Christ! How'd you get to be CEO anyway? You're thicker than concrete."

I shot her a glare.

"Alright," she caved. "You said you think Carlisle did it? Well, if he did, there's something on that computer that says so. It's his back up, his main squeeze. Everything - and I do mean everything - has a spot on that Mac. From his favorite porn to his offshore business accounts. All's we have to do is find it."

I laughed. Hard. Which resulted in a deer-in-headlights-stare from her. "Are you serious? You expect us to break in there and just magically find something connecting him to Irina's murder? I know your uncle lacks something to be desired, but I'm not sure it's smarts, honey. Besides, that's called breaking and entering, and is a felony in all fifty states."

"Uh - not really. I live here. Or used to anyway. And Carlisle's at that stupid after party at the Hilton. He won't be home for hours."

"And, just what are we going to do with this evidence, should we find it?"

"Leak it to the press, of course," she said very matter-of-factly.

"Tanya, that's not a part of the plan."

"Is now."

I shot her a glare.

"Carlisle keeps all his dirty laundry on that computer; that's the one Edward was trying to hack into. Until he got caught, he was almost on the verge of something big."

"And?"

"What do you think would hurt Carlisle more? His son finding that information, or his competition?"

I considered that for a second, and when I didn't refuse, she must have taken it as my approval.

"C'mon," she whined, reaching into her boot to reveal a small revolver.

"What the hell is that?" I gasped. "What? You're armed?"

"Yes, cry baby. I'm armed. I'm always armed." She flicked the revolver open and checked to make sure it was loaded before planting it right in my open palm.

"Oh, hell no! No! This is not what we agreed we were going to do, this is not -"

"This is exactly what we're going to do, because Carlisle has friends in high places, Bella. HIGH places. You think a measly little assault charge is going to bring him down? Nuh uh. We need proof. Hard - beyond a reasonable doubt - proof. And you and I are going to get that." She smiled deviously for a second before giving a small chuckle. "And then we're going to pay a little visit to our good buddy, Lucius."

I gulped. This was probably the dumbest thing I've ever considered doing.

"Oh, don't wuss out on me now, Swan. When we kidnapped Scotty pants, you had balls of steel. Where'd they go, huh? We've got work to do." Then, she pulled another gun, a bigger, more threatening one, out of the back of her pants.

"You've got two - What the hell, Tanya? You're an Administrative Assistant! Why are you packing? You know what? I don't know if I even wanna' hear the answer to that."

"Are you ready to do this?" She cut in.

"Sure," I squeaked, though, honestly I wasn't entirely positive of that. Here we were, two women, going into the dark recesses of enemy territory, armed with two guns and searching for an Ex-Navy Seal turned security guard. Yeah, that didn't sound idiotic at all.

But before I could protest anymore about it, Tanya was out of the car and marching over the expansive lawn and up to the front door. The lights were off, which sounded like it could indicate that no one was home, but this place was at least three levels, and looked like it went back quite far. Therefore, I was assuming nothing.

"Are you sure Carlisle went to the after party at the Hilton?" I whispered.

Tanya flicked open the security panel and started punching in numbers. "I'm positive. I'm the one who sets up his calendar. He'll be there until two am."

"You said this was off-the-record - as in?"

"Emmett probably suspects this is what I was planning on doing with my night, but I never confirmed as much. Nor did I tell him I'd be bringing his brand new sister in law with me. But, hey, water under the bridge at this point, right? You're already here."

I wanted to come back with some snarky remark about this was probably not very smart and we should just go, but before I could fully get my words out, she had the front door open and was gesturing me to go through it.

Still unsure and a little unsteady, I wobbled my way inside and looked around.

Wow. Nice fucking digs. And I wasn't just talking about the elaborate grand staircase leading to the second and subsequently the third floors as soon as you walked in. The art, the colors, the wall decorations, the window treatments, all of it screamed style and elegance. Esme's work, I was positive.

Anyway, Tanya walked past me and made her way over to the staircase, carefully and quietly taking each stair one at a time. I discreetly followed her.

Our heels went click clack against the hardwood, but no one seemed to be home. So there was no one who could notice. I couldn't help but look around at all the family pictures lining the hallways. Ones with teenage, acne Edward. Ones with pre-teen brace-face Edward. Ones with Irina. Ones where the entire family was still complete. Before this. Before the company and the merger and - well, everything else. We walked down the corridor and over to the last door on the right.

Carlisle's study.

"I can give you five minutes. Get in his computer, find the files, copy what you can, and get back out here," she suggested, shoving a piece of paper into my hand. "His password is Atlantis 30 - 54"

"How do you know that?"

"Shh! Time's a ticking, sweetheart."

"What's this paper for?"

"From what I understand, you're better with computers than anyone I know, right?"

"That may be a bit of hyperbole."

"It'll have to do. That's the name and location of the server I want you to transfer his files too. And this -" She pulled another small rectangle out of the back of her pocket, what looked like a flash drive, plopping it in my hand. "- is for those pesky password protected files. I'm good, but I'm not that good."

"If you didn't find out about this until recently, how are you so prepared?"

"Enough questions, Bella. We don't have all night." She patted me though the entry way and quietly shut the door behind me. Heart thumping and palms sweaty, I rushed to the computer and typed in the password. BAM! Came right to life. Without wasting a beat, I texted the I.P. address to Emmett and started pulling up everything I needed to do - starting with the server. Which, ironically, was located in Spain.

Almost instantly, I regretted doing this. Not only were we breaking and entering, but I'm pretty sure there's something to be said for stealing information off a computer without the owner's permission. (Was it really breaking and entering if the person doing it knew the passcode? I suppose it's just entering at that point.) Well, fuck me sideways. I was just committing all kinds of felonies tonight. Not only that, but his computer was sure to be completely devoid of all useful evidence.

A smart man would have gotten rid of it. A smart man would have burnt that computer/hard drive and replaced it with a completely new one, one _not_ containing something that would put him away for decades. I was praying that Tanya was right and Carlisle was not that intelligent.

For the sake of time, I grabbed his whole hard drive, highlighted it, and moved it.

While I was waiting for that, I started browsing around in some of his private folders. Found myself some interesting pictures of Mrs. Jenks - _Eww_ - and then some pictures of myself as well. It looked like it was taken the day Alice and I met Jake and Rose at the Italian restaurant. There were pictures of my meeting with Will and my meeting with Vanderhausen. God damn, the man had more pictures of me than I did.

Holy bleeding Christ! There were pictures dating back to 2006. Dude had been following me practically every minute of my life for the past three years. I added this entire file to the server as well.

_Searching, searching, searching._

I sifted through endless crap, monotonous reports, itinerary, and schedules. Then came the email archive. Yup, copied all that too.

Suddenly, my phone chirped and I literally jumped about ten feet in the air. It was Emmett texting me back.

"You're amazing. Say hi to Tanya for me."

As my gaze shifted back to the monitor, something in the corner caught my eye. It was a small folder, only a few KB in size, and was hidden under three or four subfolders. I'd only seen it because the server was getting ready to nab that up as well.

The folder was called "VOLTURI," and it wouldn't have meant anything to me if it hadn't been code for Irina's CIA project. Obviously curious, I clicked on it, and it prompted a password to be entered. I tried the Atlantis 30-54 and that didn't work, reporting one out of three attempts exceeded.

At this, sensing I had little other options, I plugged Tanya's password decoder into the USB drive and it took off. Suddenly, the cursor was tabbing through each letter of the alphabet without my so much as touching the keyboard. Letter by letter, second by second, it raced through the password and BAM! I was in.

Oh. My. God.

This was it. This was the mother load. This was - This was everything on him. All the dirt, all the lies, anything and everything I could possibly use against him was right here. It was all right _the fuck_ here. The wire transfer, the proof that he'd framed the CEO of Zeneaux, recorded voicemails between him and Lamar, emails, account balances. Everything I'd need to put Carlisle behind bars forever.

The only problem? Technically, what I was doing right now was illegal, and none of it could be used until the police filed a search warrant for Carlisle, and none of that could happen until they reopened the case. And since the murder happened in Spain, the United States Federal government would be powerless to prosecute him.

For this murder anyway.

But, if the press got a hold of this, then the FBI would have no choice but to get involved, and maybe he'd get extradited - or maybe this would just blow up in my face like everything else.

And technically, Tanya used to live here - she was family, right? Maybe she just fell into this info, saw one day on his computer when she was spending the night. Sounds logical right?.

I was scrolling through the files, pondering exactly how dumb someone had to be for them to hold on to all of this condemning information, when a blonde man came flying through the thick mahogany door in front of me. Literally - Flying - through - the doors. Splintered wood went everywhere.

"Beat up my cousin, do you? Have you no shame, you fuck head!" Tanya screamed, marching through right behind him. She had her gun out and finger on the trigger.

"Whoa!" I shouted. "What the fu-"

"Swan, meet Lucius. Lucius, Isabella Swan, the wife of the man you beat the shit out of two days ago."

"Which one? I beat so many these days," Lucius spat in return. He wasn't necessarily what I'd pictured. Though he was on the ground, I could tell he was about five nine and he had sandy blonde hair and bright blue eyes, like the color of pool water. And he wasn't exactly big either, but I wouldn't call him lanky. He was built, for as much as his body would let him be. Perhaps he had more muscle back in his Navy days and had neglected his workouts more recently. Whatever the case, I couldn't believe Tanya had picked his ass up and thrown him through a god damned door.

"My god damned cousin! What, did you think you'd get away with it?" Instead of waiting for his answer, she clutched the grip of her gun in her palm and pistol-whipped him - actually pistol whipped him - right in the face. I thought that shit only happened in the movies. What the fuck had my life come to?

"I do what I'm told, that's all m'am," he respectively answered, climbing up to his knees.

"Aww, like a good little dog," Tanya snarled. "That's far enough. You stay just like that, you hear?"

"Uh -" I cut in. "Tanya."

"What?"

"There's something in this Volturi file you should see."

"There's a file called 'Volturi?" Her eyes widened, but she didn't get the chance to say anything before we were interrupted.

"Just what in the hell is going on here?" an unknown voice shouted from the doors. Both Tanya and I jumped and looked that direction.

And there stood my mother in law - whom I'd yet to formally meet.

Oh great! What a way to make a first impression.

_Oh no, Mrs. Cullen. I'm definitely _not_ sorting through your husband's secret computer files._

"Tanya! What are you doing? And who is that? Is that -" Her bright green eyes widened at the sight of me. "Is that Isabella Swan?"

_Fuck!_

"Hello," I awkwardly squeaked, and stood. "Nice to meet you."

She raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "And did I hear you call her 'the wife of the man' Lucius beat up? Why, Ms. Swan, William Dean is practically family. He should have called - I would have stood witness - Or at least sent a card or something."

"Who said anything about William Dean, Aunt Esme?" Tanya cut in. "I was talking about Edward."

I suddenly wished I had some kind of time machine that would teleport me back ten seconds ago and cover Tanya's wicked mouth. Fuck, fuck, fuck! Well, so much for our secret. Guess the whole world will know now that Tanya, queen of loose fucking lips, knew the truth.

"Edward -" Esme repeated, almost in a state of disbelief. "Are you serious?"

"As a heart attack."

Throughout this exchange, Lucius had stood and crept a few inches closer to Tanya's gun, and she didn't seem to notice. But I did. I drew the revolver out of the back of my pants and pointed it at him. "Hey! Get back down."

At this, Tanya regained focus and pointed her gun square at Lucius' head. "Don't even try it, buddy."

"My God," Esme croaked. "I never thought I would see the day Edward actually got married. Maybe, when Irina was still alive, but since then - My, my, my. You go away for a fortnight, come home and your sons are married and your nieces are beating up security guards."

"Just one son got married, technically," I corrected. "And it was sudden, an impulse really. There was no time to invite -"

"Hush!" she snapped at me. ""We'll get to that in a minute. Tanya, dear, would you mind explaining yourself?" Esme raised one bronze eyebrow and gestured to Lucius.

"Aunt Esme," she started. "I'm gonna tell you something, and you've got to believe me when I say it's probably true."

"Is this about your parents?"

"No, it's about Irina."

"Tanya, we've been over this -"

"It was Carlisle, Aunt Esme. I know it. Edward knows it. William knows it. And now Bella. But we need the proof. Bella thinks she just found it."

Esme examined Tanya tentatively, looking her up and down as if she could spot dishonestly like a stain on her clothes. "Do you know what will happen to us if it's true? Do you know what will become of this family?"

Tanya spat, actually spat. "Family. You call this a family? A son who's his father's whipping boy, a father who kills his own niece to save his ass, a father who hires this scum to beat up his son, a wife so subdued, so docile, she's voluntarily blinded to all of it."

"And just what would you have me do, huh? Turn my back on my own husband?"

"He's being turning his on you for years! Are you really so naive to think he's been faithful? That he still loves you?"

"Tanya," she groaned.

"It's the truth," Tanya interjected. "And this time, we've got him. He fucked up. He fucked up big and we caught him."

"How so?"

"The proof is all right here," I said. "See for yourself."

Esme squared her jaw and looked at me contemplatively, like she considered coming over for a split second. Ultimately, she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "You said this man took to beating Edward? Why?"

"Because Edward got too close to the truth," I sputtered.

"No," Lucius spoke, for what seemed like the first time tonight. "No, it was because he was breaking and entering. Trespassing."

"On his own property?" I cut in.

"The Boss ordered he be ejected from the grounds, and Edward, he put up a fight."

"There were four of you," I snapped. "Against one."

"This happened here?" Esme asked.

"Carlisle's apartment downtown," I corrected.

"Well, isn't that the icing on the cake," Esme sighed, laughing sarcastically. "The father who kills his niece, and now beats his son, and doesn't have the balls to do any of it himself. Fabulous."

"Again, I do as I'm told. I take orders from one man, your husband," Lucius added.

"What was he doing when you caught him?"

"The same thing these ladies came here to do tonight. Get something off the Boss' computer that he doesn't want anyone to have."

"Huh," was all Esme had to say to that. "Isabella, I should welcome you to the family, but apparently, it's not quite the treat it once was. You three play nice now."

She turned and walked out of the study, and that was that.

The blinking popup on the screen said the upload was completed, and I double checked the Volturi file had been transferred before turning the whole computer off.

"Well, that's that. I say we scoot -" I started.

"Sounds about right." Tanya smirked, right before kicking Lucius in the face. That's right. Kicked him right in the face. He went down like a sack of potatoes and landed hard on his back.

We didn't stick around long enough to eye-for-an-eye his dumb ass. Like I mentioned before, two relatively small chicks going up against an ex-Navy Seal did not sound like my cup of tea. Of course, compared to Tanya, that didn't sound so bad anymore.

Evidence and secure server in tow, we wiped everything down, tied Mr. Lucius to a chair and duct taped his mouth, and fucking ran for my car. Once we were two blocks away from my loft, I finally let out the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.

We'd successfully broken into Carlisle's house, swiped all the evidence of Irina's murder off his computer, knocked Lucius unconscious and gotten out without so much as a scratch. All of that on top of being intercepted by Esme Cullen, who apparently just realized exactly how bad her marriage had really been.

When I pulled up in the parking garage, I put the car in park, but Tanya stopped me before I could get out.

"I've been trying to find a way to tell you this, and I can't think of any way I'd particularly want to hear it, so I suppose I'll just come out with it."

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "What?"

"Yourloftisbugged," she said quickly, almost too quickly for me to catch.

"What? Come again."

She took a deep breath, inhale, exhale, and then she confirmed what I thought I heard. "Your loft is bugged."

"What? How do you know?"

"Because -" she started, avoiding my gaze by looking out the passenger window. "I'm the one who bugged it."

"WHAT!" I couldn't help the flap of my arm or the subsequent slap on her bicep. "What the hell, Tanya! Why would you do that?"

"Carlisle told me to," she murmured. "But that was before I knew what you guys were up to, before I realized that he did do it, ya' know, kill my sister. But it's okay, you see! It's okay because -"

"How is any of that okay? Christ! Carlisle knows the entire plan, Tanya! We were talking about it last night."

"It's okay because I'm the only one who's been listening to the tapes."

"That's not okay! That's definitely not okay!"

"You can be mad if you want, and I'm sure you will be, but as soon as you get over it, you'll realize that I bailed your ass out tonight, and the only reason we're walking away with this much info is because I've got a wicked roundhouse."

"Is that what knocked Lucius through a Mahogany door?"

"You bet your sweet ass," she snapped back.

"Still, doesn't change the fact that you broke into my house -"

"I used a key."

"- placed bugs all around my shit and have been listening to every conversation. Ugh! Did you hear us having sex? Wait - hold that thought. You used a key?"

"Edward's got a key."

I blinked a few times. "Say what?"

"I assumed you gave it to him. Anyway, this all happened before we left for the conventions, back before I knew you. Before you married Edward. And I swear to you, Bella. I swear no one else has heard the tapes. I'm the only one who's listened to them, and I deleted them all last night."

I raised an eyebrow incredulously. "Deleted? How much deleted are we talking about here?"

"I'm talking wiped out a hard drive then burned it, deleted."

I considered this for a second. She could be telling the truth, or she could be the best fucking actor in the entire world.

"I've been figuring out what we were going to do tonight since you told Emmett that Edward was at your house and in bad shape. I knew what had happened then and there. Your conversation after only confirmed it. That's why I was packing. That's how I knew what server to upload the files. How I knew the password. How I knew to bring the bug ware. It's pretty sad, honestly. I haven't slept in over thirty hours, and I don't feel tired at all."

"Wait until the adrenaline wears off. You'll sleep like a toddler."

She laughed and nodded. "That's probably true. In any case, we better go up there and get all those taps, huh?"

"Hey, Tanya. Thanks - for tonight, for everything."

She smiled, pulling one side of her mouth higher than the other. How strange. For being the product of identical twins, Tanya and Edward looked nothing alike, which I suppose is not very strange at all, on second thought. Cousins seldom do. But in that moment, that tiny second when she grinned, I saw the family resemblance. Edward had been known to flash me that very same smile.

"You're welcome," she finally replied. "Thanks for letting me take over your evening."

"Yeah, I'm still trying to decide if that was a good idea or not."

"Probably not, but fuck it. All that ends well and all that."

"Well, it ain't over yet."

"But it's a start," she retorted. She laughed again, and it was then that I noticed how beautiful she really was. Sure, I'd always known she was hot. But now, she looked even more radiant and elegant than ever before. Made me wonder -

"Hey, I know it's none of my business. But, what happened with you and Kate? You know, your wife?"

"Yes, I know who Kate is. I've been married to her for forever. Seemed like forever anyway." Tanya laughed and shook her head. "I don't know, Bella. Things were good. Then, they were great. Then, Irina died, and I just -" Tears started to form at the corners of her eyes, but she forced them back. "I sort of fell apart. And with a newborn and a depressed spouse - I knew I was putting a ton of pressure on her. So I left. I left to be with someone who - sympathized."

"Edward."

"Edward and Irina could have been twins. They acted like they were. Anyway, he lost himself in - well - drawing you, I guess. And I lost myself in alcohol and mindless sex."

Then she stopped. I assumed there was more to the story, but when she didn't start talking again, I opened my mouth to say something profound and meaningful. Regrettably, all that came out was, "Anything to take the edge off, I guess."

"Listen," she cut in. "We're not friends, alright? I don't want you getting the idea that since we shared this little adventure together that you can call me whenever you need me to bail you out of some shitty situation. I did this for Irina. Not you."

"Sure," I said pointedly. To be honest, I was a little shocked she'd come right out and said that because I hadn't thought for one second she was here for me.

"I'm pissed you married my cousin and I wasn't there, I'm pissed that you didn't listen to me that night at Fuego, and I'm really fucking pissed that you get to be the one who brings the bastard down."

"Don't you have any love for him at all? I mean, he is your uncle."

"He had my sister murdered. Any love I had for him is long gone."

"Understandable. I'm just trying to comprehend how all of his children turned on him, you all hate him so much."

"He was a horrible father, and an even worse uncle. Nothing was ever good enough for him," Tanya confessed. Then, she smiled to herself and looked down to her lap. "Edward has done nothing but try to make that man proud of him his entire life. And what does he get for his efforts? A tainted business and a hole in his heart where his cousin used to be.'

'He used to beat him, you know? Whenever Edward messed up or got a bad grade or stepped out of line. Hell, whenever any of us stepped out of line. Edward would take the blame. And he would take the punishment. Neither of them will speak about it, and both deny it if you ask. But he did. I heard. I saw.'

'I think that's why Irina's death messed him up so badly. It was the one time she needed his protection the most, and he couldn't. If he had just come home earlier that week, if he had just said no to Carlisle in the first place, coulda' shoulda' woulda'. It all ends the same way. Esme's a drunk, Edward's bordering on an extreme case of obsessive-compulsive disorder, Irina's dead, Emmett lives five hours away, and I'm a lesbian. One big happy fucking family.'

'Which is why you need to be careful. I don't think Edward would survive your dea - "

But she stopped, like she couldn't finish that sentence. It didn't matter. I knew exactly where she was headed with it anyway. If I died, or if Carlisle had me killed, Edward - well - he'd be ruined.

"So, you need to kick Preggo out asap and get me in there as your assistant. Before the merger, after the merger, I don't give a shit. You need me there with you."

"Okay," I sputtered.

"Okay," she said. "Enough girl talk. I'm sure you've got better things to do than listen to my sad pathetic childhood stories."

Needless to say, Edward was asleep when we eventually made our way upstairs, but that didn't stop me from popping open a glass of champagne to celebrate anyway.

Around one, after Tanya had managed to gather and destroy all the bugs she'd placed, she headed upstairs to Edward's loft, against my better judgement. I was still terrified that I'd go to sleep tonight, only to wake up with Carlisle standing right over me. Or worse, be woken up by gun shots coming from across the street, that I'd have a moment where I'd actually see Tanya getting murdered through the window and wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

She assured me she could handle herself, and judging by what I'd seen tonight with Lucius, I didn't doubt that one bit.

The next morning, I awoke to Edward sitting up in bed with his phone pressed against his ear.

"Morning," I greeted. "How do you feel?"

"Someone had fun last night," he murmured. "Listen to this."

He pressed a button on his phone and the voice of a very angry Esme Cullen filled my bedroom.

_"Edward, this is your mother. How DARE you get married without so much as telling me? Do you actually think that I wouldn't care if my first born child was getting engaged, much less married? You are in BIG trouble, Mister. Big! Trouble!_

_Now, about this business with your father. Bella and Tanya have the physical evidence by now, no doubt. But I know more. Call me when you have a moment, you little shit. I do hope you feel better. Love you, darling. Oh - and get Tanya to see a psychiatrist, will you? The poor dear scares me sometimes. I'm off to London. Ta-ta."_

Edward looked at me, raising an inquisitive eyebrow, "Just when did you meet my mother?"

**_A/N: Soo? Likes, Dislikes? How do you think it's gonna end? Let me know what you think in the reviews. Be sure to check out my blog (Link on my Profile) for the teaser, which will be posted immediately. Thanks for reading and, if you've been with me since the beginning, thanks for sticking it out this long. I hope I can give you the ending you've been anticipating. I really tried to. And if you're a new to Spyward and his debauchery, thanks for giving me a shot. Take care & Cheers. _**


	29. Die, Go to Jail, or Run

_**A/N: So here it is, the last chapter. It's been a long time coming, but now that it's here, I can't wait to hear what you think of it. The song for the chapter is "Heavy in your Arms" by Florence and the Machine. I'm posting this with the Epilogue, as to not drag it out any longer. Enjoy.**_

_**Chapter 29**_

_**Die, Go to Jail or Run**_

___"And this will be my last confession,  
____'I Love You' never felt like any blessing."_

Edward ripped me a new one when he found out what I'd done, what Tanya and I had done together - without him - without Emmett. He was still hell bent on the idea that I couldn't take care of myself. But once I'd told him what I found, and how Tanya and I had done a bang up job of getting it and putting it on the server, he forgot all about being pissed.

Until I started talking about him leaving. I thought Tanya was right about that. If he didn't run to escape Carlisle, he'd have to run from the FBI. There was a considerable amount of information on that server that linked Edward with every illegal act Carlisle had ever committed, with the exception of Irina. I wasn't about to watch Cullen Inc blow up in front of my face just so it could take Edward down with it.

Put simply, he was just as fucked as Carlisle.

Which meant that he had to disappear - literally.

"Absolutely not," he snapped as soon as the words had left my lips.

"Edward," I groaned from the shower. He stood in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest, looking like every single time he moved, it caused a considerable amount of pain throughout his whole body. "Listen, I've thought a lot about this. Really, I have. And I couldn't stand to lose you, or have you locked away, or -"

"No, Bella," he cut in. "Weren't you just saying the other day that we needed to stick together? Through to the end? I don't think my picking up and leaving for Bumfuck, USA is even an option."

"Look. The way I see it, you have three choices: Die, go to jail, or run. Tell me, which would you prefer?"

He ran his hands over his hair anxiously. "Explain to me exactly how I'm supposed to just disappear? I'm on the cover of every fucking newspaper in publication. I understand that I don't look exactly like myself right now, but eventually I will. And what then, huh?"

"By the time that happens, everything should be in place. You won't have to hide anymore."

"If I run, I'll be running for the rest of my life. Is that how you want me to live?"

I pulled the shower curtain aside for the first time in the argument, and I groaned in disappointment. "Are you kidding me? What if Carlisle finds you here? What if he sends Lucius to finish what he started? What if the FBI want to put you away with him? This is about bringing down the bad guy and saving the innocent, and right now that involves you getting the fuck out of here."

"And what do you think it will do to me to know you're here, all alone, every night? Do you fancy another go 'round with some bloke's fists? Bella, what makes you think they won't off you just as easily as me?"

"Because you're the bigger threat. I'm sorry, but you can be easily replaced. Me on the other hand. Carlisle would have to go through a company he doesn't rightfully own yet. I'm in the public eye, I've got a building full of people who've worked for me for years. I'm constantly surrounded by people I trust. And I'm not on the verge of being convicted for a slew of felonies. Christ, Edward! You're just as accountable as your dad for all of that shit! You don't have another choice!"

"Thanks," he snapped sarcastically.

"Look at you. LOOK at you! They've destroyed you, and I just _can't _let that happen again. So you need to go while I clean this mess up, and when you come back, everything will be better." By the end of my little monologue, I was crying, near hysterics really, and water was spraying everywhere, completely drenching my bathroom and toilet seat cover.

Edward stood there for a second, almost as if he was surprised by my outburst. Then, he frowned and closed the distance between us, wrapping his arms completely around me despite the fact that I was soaking wet and he was still dressed. We stood there for a few moments, the hot water pouring down on us, and me falling to pieces on his shoulder.

"Okay," he finally whispered and pulled back to look me in the eyes. He brushed the wet hair out of my face and kissed my forehead. God, he looked like shit, all beat up and bruised. My heart broke for him all over again. "Okay. If you think I should go, then I'll go. But you're going to do a few things for me while I'm gone, understand?"

After our sappy goodbye in the backseat of a cab at the airport, I choked back tears while the cabbie drove me back to my loft to get my car. We didn't want anyone knowing Edward was leaving, and especially not where he was headed.

It had taken one phone call to my father to find some place to hide him. Forks, Washington. Population 3532. Made infinitely better by the fact that my father lived within twenty miles of absolutely nothing, and he knew other people who lived nowhere, with nothing around them. No better place to disappear than the thick underbrush of Washington's woodlands. While Edward wouldn't be staying with my father specifically, Police Chief Charles Swan had agreed to hide him with people he trusted.

Sure, it was a little weird that I was shipping my husband off to my father, whom he's never met. And I was sure that first encounter would be _awkward. _But I didn't have any better ideas, and my father had never turned down help to anyone.

Midnight. That was our meet up time. If I didn't answer to his text within five minutes, Tanya was on standby with orders to storm to my rescue. Prior to that night with Scotty, I might not have felt comfortable about this. Now, though . . .

Not only did I have a curfew, but I also had to go to the shooting range with Tanya every Monday before work. It was mandatory. If Edward was trusting me with my own life, he had to make sure I knew how to protect it.

Whatever made him feel comfortable, I told him. And why not? He was leaving, going to stay with strangers for who knew how long, just so _I'd _feel better. Why wouldn't I learn to shoot a gun to make him feel the same?

I did wish he would have been able to recuperate some more before having to scuttle out of here, but we didn't have a choice. They'd already beaten him to within an inch of his life, and I'd be damned if they took him away from me the way they'd taken Irina from Will.

After getting my car and driving to work, I walked into the lobby of my office and stuffed my keys in my purse, realizing I'd subconsciously stuck Tanya's gun in there last night. It was still there today. Well, well, well. Who's a big timer now? Huh? Walking around my office with a gun that doesn't belong to me and I have no license for. Yeah - _take that._

Umm...

On second thought, I'd be stuffing it into a deep dark corner of my desk once I got to my office. After the elevator ride and the quick walk down the hallway, I passed Alice and she did not look pleased.

"Uh oh," I murmured. "What's wrong?"

"Well," she started, gesturing toward my door. "See for yourself."

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but I took her suggestion and walked through the entryway, where I promptly stopped dead in my tracks. Carlisle was already seated in front of my desk, his fingers steepled under his chin and one leg crossed over the other.

"Um, hi," I greeted awkwardly.

"Good morning, Ms. Swan. I took the liberty of waiting in your office. I hope you don't mind." He stood and flashed me that cheesy smile. I pursed my lips in response, immediately trying to decode his angle. What was he doing in my office before I got here? Why would Alice let him do that?

"What can I do for you, Mr. Cullen?"

"I just wanted to review a few things before this board meeting."

"Such as?"

"No doubt you are aware that my son finds himself _indisposed _as of late, and I'll be handling all major decisions until he returns."

"Isn't that the CFO's job?" I retorted, my eyes narrowing.

"I still own the controlling share of this company, Ms. Swan. I still make the decisions."

"Fantastic," I reply sarcastically. "Will there be anything else?"

"Remember what I told you. Do not tempt me." He glanced at Alice, then looked right back at me. "I am not a man to forgive easily."

"Nor am I, Mr. Cullen. Now, if you please." I gestured to the hallway. "The conference room is this way. Alice will escort you."

"Yes, of course." He grinned and followed Alice down the hallway. I calmly shut the door behind them, but started freaking out immediately. Suppose he placed bugs all over the place? What then? My office was no longer safe.

Not only that, but - Oh god. Oh! God!

I raced around my desk and shook the mouse, waking my computer from sleep. And there it was.

"_Search history reveals no results." _

And the search was for "Volturi." Before that, it was "server" and "Cullen."

_I'm not that big of an idiot, Carlisle. Surely you knew that._

Which was why he probably left this up here for me. To give me a sign. To tell me he knew what I did last night, and he wouldn't let me get away with it.

Muah, ha, ha, ha! How the plot thickens!

(God, listen to me. I sound like Dr. Evil.)

Smiling to myself, I leaned back in my comfy, leather chair and crossed my legs. Oh, how I missed it. After weeks of those folding metal pieces of shit,_ my _chair seemed like heaven. I decided to stop scheming and started with the catch up work that I needed to get done. I also needed to prepare for the slew of interviews Alice had set up before we'd even left for the conventions, so I needed to start writing rehearsed answers pretty much as soon as possible.

Speaking of Alice, I gave her a quick call to find out what in her right mind made her think she could leave him alone in my office. She'd told me he insisted on waiting there, and she stayed in the room with him long enough for him to ask for a coffee. She hustled to get it so he wasn't alone in my office for too long, but by the time she'd gotten back, he was already sitting in the chair I found him in. What could I say to that? The girl did her best.

At ten, we had a board meeting, where, to my complete and utter surprise, the Board actually congratulated me on the relationship and how much attention it had brought our company. Paul, my Senior PR rep used to say that bad press is exactly that, bad press. People who thought any kind of attention was good attention had obviously never run a multi-billion dollar company. But even Paul was whistles and applause. I'd managed to take a risky situation and turn it into something good for the company (however illegal that may have been accomplished - Here's to you Eleazar Michael.) At least people were talking about us, at least turn out for the conventions had increased three fold over last year, at least stocks were up.

Which was something neither Jenks nor Carlisle wanted to hear, nor expected. Hell, I hadn't even expected it, though I certainly made Jenks think I did. Now, it was their turn to bring the merger to the board. Even though a tentative agreement had been made, nothing was final until the board permitted it.

So we sat. And we debated. For hours. On end.

Why was this a good thing? Why was this bad? Who would be the CEO? What would happen to the board members of each company? Would we even need to merge with them to keep profiting, given the way things were going now?

By lunch time, no agreement had been made and I had to cancel all of my interviews for the rest of the afternoon. We sat and argued well into the night, deciding to resume tomorrow morning at eight am. Which was fine by me. I'd spent all day plotting my next move, and I just needed to put it into action.

I went back to my office to get some work finished, work I'd started this morning but was still far from completing. It was possible I'd have to do it tomorrow, seeing as it was bordering on eleven o'clock. Twenty minutes passed before Carlisle came bursting into my office. That's right, Bursting! He pushed my door open so hard, it slammed off the bookcase behind it and almost came sailing back at him.

One look at him and I could tell he was pissed - enraged, even. His eyes emanated fury and the tight set of his lips amplified that. He marched right up to me and put his hands flat on my desk, shoulder width apart.

"I know you came to my house last night," he snarled.

"Oh?" I figured it was the least condemning response.

"And I know you swiped information from my computer."

"Ahh," I replied this time.

"Where did you put it? I want it back!" This time he shouted, and I almost jumped. _Almost. _

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You know damn well what I'm talking about. You and my bastard niece. I know what you're up to, and you must realize that it won't end well for either of you."

"First, your son and now your bastard niece? Carlisle, don't you think you're being a little paranoid? Why would they have any reason to do that to you?" I was mocking him, and surely he knew that.

"Do NOT play these games with me! My son may fall for your incompetent blockheadedness, but believe it, you'll get a different response from me."

"Oh? And just what will your response be? Gonna shoot me in the head too?"

"Oh you think you're brilliant, do you? You've got nothing but circumstantial bullshit. Hearsay, at best."

At this, I stood and placed my hands on my desk, leaning into the same position as him. "Is that why you're standing here, shouting like a lunatic at eleven o'clock at night? Because I've got nothing but _circumstantial bullshit?"_

"This is your last chance. Give it back, or -"

"Or you'll do what, exactly? Please, enlighten me."

"I'll have your job by tomorrow morning, count on that."

"My job? Really? That's the best you can do?"

"People who live in glass houses really shouldn't throw stones, Ms. Swan. I'll massacre you, drag you through the streets screaming. Do. Not. Fuck. With. Me."

"Oh please." I snorted and rolled my eyes. "I'm _not _afraid of you, Carlisle. I'm probably the only person in the world who can say this, but you don't scare me. That whole Board lives and breathes Isabella Swan, and there's not a damn thing you can do to stop it."

"You think I can't ruin your life? How - _naive._"

My eyes narrowed, and somehow I found myself intrigued. Where exactly was he going with this?

"Who do you think tipped Scott off to your _circumstance _in the first place?" he whispered. And then I realized it was him. All along. The press, the media storm, he was fueling it. He was the man behind every bad thing that had happened to me in the last month. "I've got people everywhere. I can make you out to be anything I want you to be. That Board lives and breathes _money_, not you."

"Then, why are you still standing here? It sounds like you've got yourself a plan. Good luck."

"I thought I'd at least give you the chance." His lips twisted into a sly little grin and he took a few steps away from my desk. "I'll see you in the morning."

"You're so full of shit, Carlisle, it's floating out of your ears. _You _can't touch _me. _And neither can anybody else."

"_You,_ maybe." And with that, he turned and marched out of my office. Cryptic as he may have been, I understood his threat to mean he was talking about Edward.

_Good luck finding him, dick! _

I suddenly let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. My hands were shaking, my legs practically going to give out any second. The truth was, he scared the living crap out of me, and I was sure he'd do everything in his power to make good on his threat. But I couldn't let _him _know that. To him, I had to remain powerful, unattainable, in control, even if I was breaking apart on the inside. I probably could have sat there and riddled over Carlisle's outburst for another hour, but I had a very important meeting to go to, one I put into motion a long time ago, with someone who deserved my help.

At midnight on the dot, I was walking into the same little diner Edward had taken me to the night we'd met at the Red Room. This was the spot where we'd made our _arrangement. _How long ago that seemed, so very far away, almost out of reach.

Sitting in the corner far in the back, drinking a cup of coffee and reading a paper, was _The Snake. _He was wearing his typical page boy hat, turned backwards, and journalist vest with all the pockets. I walked over and scooted in across the booth from him.

"Ms. Swan, how are you tonight?" he greeted, folding his paper and placing it down between us.

"Fabulous, yourself?"

"Hoping it gets better. When we talked on the phone, you said you had something for me?"

I nodded. "I do. And I think it's gonna be something you'll be very interested in. But I'll only give it to you if the price is right."

"If the price is right?" His eyebrows raised incredulously. "So this incognito meeting is not about the money you and your - _boyfriend -_ owe me?"

I sighed and shook my head, not seeming to understand. Apparently, Edward hadn't made good on his promise of twenty thousand dollars, since the twist Eleazar put on the story definitely worked. Everywhere I looked, everywhere I turned, everyone was talking about how perfect we were for each other and how they'd known all along that it was him I was screwing.

"The last time we saw each other," Eleazar continued, "you two were _blackmailing_ me into spinning _my_ story into something you preferred. Now, my daughter's in rehab and twenty other reporters beat me to the punch on your birthday party. The story was dog-shit by then, so you'll just have to be satisfied with what I was able to do."

"It was perfect, thank you," I tried to sneak in.

But Eleazar was on a roll, and he barely heard me. "And now you want my help? How 'bout I tell you to fuck off and I leave before you drag me into something else equally as unrewarding."

"I didn't say I needed your help, Mr. Michael. I believe you need mine."

He started laughing hysterically, throwing his hands down on the table. "That's great. Just what would I possibly want from you?"

I pulled a manilla folder out of my purse and laid it on the table between us. "A love story. A real one."

"Is this the exclusive unadulterated rights to your biography? If so, I'll pass."

"Don't be so quick to turn down what is sure to be the most expensive story you've ever had to sell, aside from mine of course."

"So, this folder has nothing to do with you?"

"Very little."

"And your - _boyfriend?"_ Again with that word. And the way he said it made my skin crawl, as if he knew - without a doubt - what had happened in Vegas, and he'd chosen to keep his mouth shut for the time being.

Done with pretenses, I decided to be out with it. "Why do you say it like that? _Boyfriend?_"

"A little bird told me you two married in Vegas."

"I've gotta' be honest, I'm a bit surprised it took this long for someone to even mention it."

"Are you denying it?"

"Would it matter?"

Eleazar shrugged and pushed his glasses a little higher on his nose. "The romance is still new. Don't wanna blow my whole load in one spot, if you catch my drift."

And somehow, I did. "Well, in this folder, I've got the _mother _of all love stories. Death, greed, destruction, romance, horror. You name it, this story has it. And, it's completely true."

He sat and started at the folder for a few moments, and took a sip of his coffee before shaking his head and sighing. "Just what in the hell are you talking-"

"I'm talking Irina Denali. I'm talking Zeneaux technologies and the shooting of Edward's cousin."

"Lamar Jenkins, I remember this story. Big headlines a few months ago. But what do I want with it now?"

"Read the emails, look at the pictures, decide for yourself."

"I've already done all that. I know the facts by heart. Who do you think sold the story in the first place?"

"Oh yeah?" I smirked and tapped the folder. "Did you know she was married?"

His look of utter surprise suggested he didn't.

"All I ask in return is that you be outside Dyco Tech headquarters at an undisclosed time yet to be determined," I continued.

"When?"

"Whenever I tell you. I'm still working on the finer points."

"What's in it for me?"

"It's like I said. The mother of all love stories is about to hit its climax. You don't wanna miss it."

With that, I got up to leave.

"Ms. Swan," he called behind me.

I looked over my shoulder in response.

"Do remind your husband that he owes me quite a deal of money."

Without so much as a breath in reply, I walked back to the table, got out my check book and cut him the money right then and there, adding another ten for insurance. "You'll get the rest when you do this for me. We'll be in touch, Mr. Michael." I turned and I left. Sure, it was ominous and quite dramatic, some might say overly dramatic. But it got his attention, and there was no doubt in my mind he'd be there once he'd figured out all the little puzzle pieces I left for him in that folder.

And then I went home to my empty loft. Once upstairs in my bed room, I reached into my nightstand and pulled out the button from Edward's shirt the first night he came over; a tiny memento I'd long since forgotten about. I clutched it to my palm and lay down in my bed, looking out the window to his bedroom. It was dark, desolate, completely empty of life. And that only made me miss him more.

I pulled my phone out of my purse and texted the pay-by-minute cellphone he'd picked up at the airport.

"_Missing you." _

It was only ten o'clock in Washington, and, sure enough, it didn't take long for him to get back to me.

"_You, too. How was work?"_

"_It sucked."_

I thought about turning on the TV but remembered my relationship was today's top news, not to mention the upcoming merger, and then I decided I had no interest in what those assholes thought about _my _life so I just laid there.

"_And the meeting at the diner?"_

"_He asked me to kindly remind you that you owe him money. I got him square."_

"_Think he'll go through with it?"_

"_Probably."_

A few minutes went by and I started to think he'd gone to bed without saying goodnight, but eventually replied: _"What kind of underwear are you wearing?" _I sat straight up in bed. Talk about subject change.

"_Wouldn't you like to know?" _

"_Ever the tease. I'm your husband now. I have - needs."_

I considered sexting for half a second before coming to the decision that I was too tired to even think straight, much less send dirty text messages to my husband at one in the morning. It'd been a hard day.

"_Goodnight, Edward."_

"_I love you."_

"_Love you more." _

The days passed, and each night at midnight, I texted or talked to my husband half way across the country. I missed him like nothing I'd ever missed before. Everywhere I looked, I saw him, and the big hole in my heart got just a tiny bit bigger.

One night, I got ballsy and asked how things were going with Chief Swan. Edward said he didn't say anything to him the entire ride back to his house from the airport. But, when they eventually got there, my father just sighed and asked what the hell had happened to his face.

The sad thing was that I completely saw it playing out in my head while he told me the story. That's my dad. Not a big talker, but when he is, he's blunt and right to the point. Which is probably where I got it from.

Tanya kept me company more often than not. Alice had her hands full, you know, being pregnant and all that, and I needed to keep her safe as well, so that meant pushing her away for the time being. She was always in my heart, she knew that, and understood.

I put her on maternity leave early, like she'd wanted, and hired Tanya as my assistant. My professional excuse was so she could learn our system to make merging more efficient. Carlisle saw right through it, of course, but couldn't publicly deny that it made sense.

Carlisle never came through on his threat. I went to my job every single day, and no one said a word to me about anything. The press followed me around everywhere, but all the headlines seemed to be positive, so I didn't worry about it.

On Mondays, Tanya woke me up at four am and took me to the range. I now knew how to load, unload, shoot and clean three different kinds of guns. (My favorite was the Colt .38.) We also took to running around Central Park before work on Tuesdays and Fridays. A little cardio never hurt anyone.

On one particular morning, we were entering our second mile when Tanya suddenly stopped us and pulled me off the track.

"What?" I panted, wiping sweat off my forehead. "Oh my god. Do we have a tail?"

She started laughing and shook her head. "No, stupid. I just - Do you love Edward? Like really really love him?"

My eyebrows furrowed and I shrugged. "Well, gee, I don't know. I'm willing to take a bullet for him, but is that really love? Boy, that's a big word there." The sarcasm was overwhelming.

She smacked my arm and took a drink of water from her bottle. "Just answer the question."

"Of course, I do, Tanya. What the fuck is up with you?"

"Do you believe that if you love something you have to let it go, and if it comes back to you, it was meant to be?"

"Is this about Kate? God, what'd she do now?"

"No, it's not about Kate." Then she shook her head and sighed. "You know what, nevermind." Then she took off running again.

"Tanya!" I shouted after her. "Tanya! What the hell are you talking about?"

"Just forget I said anything, alright? How are things going with switching the accounts from CI to Dyco?"

Normally, I would have pushed the issue. But I could tell something was bugging her, so I let it go and got back to the run.

On the morning that everything in my world fell apart, I was sitting on my bed staring at CNN.

"_And this comes only two months after Edward Cullen, former CEO of Cullen Industries, mysteriously falls off the face of the planet," _the blonde reporter said, shaking her head dramatically.

"_The fact that Isabella Swan will stay on as CEO of the hybrid company despite all of her recent controversy only reinforces my opinion that she's been the backbone all along. Dyco Tech would have been nothing without her, and even though Cullen knows there's a personal conflict involved, he's willing to take her under his wing."_

"_And dating the boss' son doesn't hurt either," _Blondie joked.

"_Edward's gone MIA, Barbara. He's dead or hiding or I don't know what, he's just taken a total back seat to his beau. But, I think it's more than that. I think Carlisle has general concern for her fate in his company."_

"Yeah, or exorbitant fury," I snorted to myself.

"_Where could he have gone? Surely, he isn't dead," _Blondie piped up. _"Ms. Swan would have mentioned something by now if that was the case. He's nowhere to be found. When they originally announced his resignation, I really thought we'd get a speech, at the very least. And why aren't the police questioning Isabella Swan? Why aren't they getting more involved in his disappearance than they are?"_

"Because I have the DA in my back pocket," I sarcastically hissed at Blondie.

"_But this sort of vague disappearance says one thing to me -" _she continued.

Her gray haired co-anchor smirked and said, _"What's that?"_

"_He was paid off."_

"_What?" _The co anchor squealed.

I clicked the TV off and headed to the shower. Six am and time to get my ass in gear. After a shower, I dressed in what I considered a pretty awesome outfit, next season's black Valentino pumps that I'd paid an arm and a leg to get early, a professional business suit and a purple button down underneath. I tucked Edward's button in my front pocket, as I'd become accustomed to do every morning.

I got to work on time and said hi to Tanya. I'd even attempted a greeting at Carlisle, who scowled and grunted in response.

The merger had ultimately gone through, and now we were working on successfully bringing everything together. Not that that mattered much anymore. Tonight was the night. Everything had been set up and arranged. It was going to happen. Finally.

So imagine my surprise when I was staring out my window at lunchtime and see an all too familiar grin beaming back at me from across the street. And God, he looked so much better than the last time I saw him. His face had all but healed completely and there was hardly a mark to show for it, at least from this angle. He was in his old office, now empty except for a telephone and a lamp plugged into the wall. He picked up the receiver and brought it to his ear.

A few seconds later, my phone chirped from my desk. I took a few steps in that direction and picked it up. "This is Isabella Swan."

"Shouldn't that be Isabella Cullen?" the familiar voice cooed.

"God, I missed you."

"You too. What're you doing for lunch? Wanna get sushi or something?"

"I wish I could."

"Business?"

"You know it."

"Shame," he started. "I had dreams of decorating your body with rice and seaweed and licking it off."

Yup, that burn in my cheeks was a blush. I was actually blushing. Butterflies welled in my stomach. "Trust me, there's nothing I'd love more. But things are tense right now. You shouldn't be seen. Especially not tonight. What are you even doing here?"

"Emmett texted me."

I nodded and brought my hand to my face, deciding company telephones were definitely not the place to be talking about this. "The lines might be hot. I should go. I love you."

"I love you, too. When will I see you?"

"Tonight, maybe? I don't know. I'll get back to you."

"I look forward to it."

"Goodbye," I murmured, terrified that it might be for good.

"Bye."

Of course, that man never listened to me worth a damn. Twenty minutes later, he came sneaking through my door with that devious little grin plastered to his face. I didn't even realize he was there until he shut the door behind him and locked it.

"Did you really think I'd let you go through with this?" he smirked, grabbing the back of his neck with his palm.

Startled, I stood and immediately closed the distance between us, throwing my arms around his neck. As amazing as it felt to have him so close again, the sudden threat of Carlisle catching him made a jolt of pure panic shoot down my spine. "What are you doing here? Who let you up?"

"Tanya."

But before I could say anything in response, he pressed his lips to mine. Oh, God, how I'd missed him. It had been too long - way too long indeed. The power of his embrace sent chills through my body and over every inch of my skin. My fingers tangled themselves in his hair, mapping his body completely from memory.

"Wait, wait," I whispered, pulling away from him. I held up a finger and walked to the windows, hastily shutting the curtains. "You're not supposed to be here," I murmured. He traced a finger down the back of my desk and looked up at me.

"He's got an office in this building now?"

I nodded curtly. "I suggested he take the janitor's closet at the end of the hall. He wasn't too keen on that."

He smirked and shook his head. "It was my idea, moving our stuff over here."

That took me by surprise. I crossed my arms and smiled. "What?"

"Of course, at the time, I'd mentioned it so we could spend our lunch hours . . ." He drifted off.

"Yes?"

"I don't know - licking seaweed off each other, for example."

"Right. Well, that's all gone to shit now that your father's submitted your formal resignation."

He nodded and brought his hands to mine. "Yeah, I heard about that. Sort of the reason I'm here."

"You said something about not letting me go through with this? Well, I'll tell you right now, you've got no other choice. Everything's already in place. It's happening. I thought we decided this was the best plan."

"The Plan's changed."

My eyes narrowed suspiciously. I moved away from him. "Emmett would have -"

"That's why he sent me."

My jaw squared and I grew even more weary. "So, what's the new plan?"

"You don't get to know. Just do everything else the same as you initially thought."

I shook my head and sighed. "Married and still don't trust each other."

"Hey, that's not true. I trust you completely."

"Not enough to tell me what you're up to."

"And you think I'm lying about Emmett sending me."

"Well, are you?"

"Of course," he teased.

I snorted a laugh. "Edward, you promised to be honest with me - you _vowed _to be honest with me. Tell me what's going on."

"Look, I know what I promised. This is just something that has to happen without your knowledge." He kissed my forehead. "I love you, you know that right? I couldn't stand it if something happened to you. You have to understand that. Emmett told me what was going on, and - Bella - I forbid it. Carlisle took my best friend from me, he's not going to take the love of my life as well."

I rolled my eyes and smirked. "Can Emmett keep his mouth shut about anything?"

He had his mouth pressed against my temple, where he lightly kissed me and inhaled right by my hair. "Is that a serious question?"

"Not really."

"God, you smell exactly the same."

I smiled and wrapped my arms behind his neck again. "So do you."

He kissed me again and started pulling my shirt out of my pants, teasing at undoing my belt buckle. I giggled and pulled away from him. "You have to go."

"Make love to me first."

"Edward, hush with that. Anyone could walk in any second."

"Doubt it."

"Why's that?"

"Carlisle's out to eat with Tanya. We've got at least an hour."

My eyes met his, I smiled, and that was that. All of the files on my desk, my keyboard, my cup of pens, it was a jumble on the floor in a matter of seconds.

At nine on the dot, my very devious and somewhat expertly well constructed plan went into action. Tanya had done her part, and tipped Carlisle off to the fact that Edward and I had gotten married in secret, and that I was the one who was hiding him. Since he'd disappeared two months ago, Carlisle had been desperate to find him and had exhausted every measure known in his search. Tanya had been keeping him running in circles with reports of letters from France, postcards from Zimbabwe, secret packages from Indonesia. It was all made up, of course, just a rouse to keep him busy.

But tonight, he marched through my office doors precisely on time and sauntered right up to my desk. He pressed his hands on my desk and glared at me. "Where is he?"

"Who?" I asked innocently.

"You know damned well who."

I shrugged indifferently and reverted my attention to my computer screen. "How should I know?"

"Where is he, Swan? Where's your husband?"

"Oh - so I guess you've heard the rumor."

"Stop acting like a child. You must know that you're skating on thin ice."

"Oh really?" I snorted a short laugh through my nose. "What are you gonna' do? Kill me too? Or kill him? If you can find him. I wouldn't be so reckless if I were you."

His smile grew devious. "You think you've got the upper hand, don't you? But I know something you don't know. Edward's been spying for me this whole time. Tanya's the one who hacked in your database, she's been laundering information for him for the past year."

"Your biggest mistake in this whole game was to underestimate me, Carlisle. This is not something I didn't know."

"And - and you're just okay with all of that?"

"This is about you. Not Edward. Not Tanya."

"Now you're being ridiculous. This is about all of us."

"I'll tell you what's ridiculous, a man who turns his own son into a machine, a man who has his flesh and blood murdered for his own benefit, and then pays to cover it up." I pressed a button on my desk and the video of Carlisle making a phone call to Lamar Jenkins from a pay phone on my property started to play on the white curtains I'd had reinstalled in my office. It's almost pathetic how stupid he had been. The entire conversation was clearly audible.

"_Lamar, it's me." _Pause, like Lamar was saying something. _"Of course, I know she's definitely coming. She's already bought the ticket." _Carlisle clutches his trench coat tighter round his torso, the brisk December winds barrelling through him. _"It's quite simple, Jenkins. Get in, get the job done, and get out. Don't dawdle, you understand? They catch you, everyone in this is screwed."_

And there you have it. It's all circumstantial, of course, and this alone wouldn't hold up in court. He doesn't mention anything about killing Irina, but he does mention the killer's name, loud and clear. As far as Interpol knew, Carlisle had no idea who Lamar was, and had never heard the name until he came after Edward. This proves that statement false.

I wish I could have taken a picture of his face right in that moment. It was priceless. Somewhat surprised, somewhat in awe, somewhat shattered. He knew I had him red handed, and had effectively backed him into a corner. He had two choices, run or fight. Running was probably the smarter idea, considering this would be all over the evening news. By now, Eleazar had deals with several networks, and all he was waiting for was the signal to go through with it.

"That is quite the phone call, Mr. Cullen," I start. "I wonder how much Interpol would like to hear it."

"Wow, you've certainly done your homework."

"Always did. Straight As. Now, if you'll please excuse me. I've got a press conference to write."

I moved to go for the door, but Carlisle piped up with, "Does your father know about your new husband, I wonder. My friends paid him a visit this morning, they didn't report seeing a wedding photo. It's been, what? Two months now?"

I froze. Okay. This had officially gotten personal. He'd sent - _his friends - _to visit my father? My gaze met his and I tried to search for any sign that he's lying. A twitch, a look away, a lick of the lips. But nothing. Surely, he was bluffing. Surely, Edward would have said something.

"And your mother? She's being held somewhere safe, don't worry."

"Alright, listen mother fucker!" I screamed. Some part of me knew he was lying, but I just couldn't prove it, and that scared me. Fucker had forty years of poker face.

"Oh, now who's the screaming lunatic?"

Before I could stop myself, my hand reached up and smacked him hard across the face. I couldn't believe I'd done it, but I was pissed and he deserved it. My parents were innocent. He had _no _business bringing them into this, at all, in any capacity.

His gaze slowly met mine, and behind those eyes, lurked a fury I'd never seen before. He was scary livid. "I promised you massacre. Can't say I'm not a man of my word," he said, his voice a little shaky.

"You're a piece of shit!"

"You realize, of course, that all of the evidence you've got against me not only implicates Tanya, but Edward as well."

"Well, that would be - if you could find him."

"Yes, and you know where he is. You don't think the FBI will eventually get that little tid bit out of you?"

"Not even I know where he is," I lied.

"This all ends now, Bella, if you just hand it over. All of it. Everything you _think _you know about me."

Nope. Even if I wanted to, Eleazar was knee deep in offers for the story. Handing it over simply wasn't option. Backing out now wasn't one either.

I decided to give him a dose of his own medicine.

"Carlisle, as we speak, there are fifty squad cars, a SWAT team and about double that in FBI agents piling up downstairs." (It was _probably_ true.) "They're here for you. They're here because what I sent them, what _I _stole from you.'

'I'm sorry it has to end like this, but it has to end somehow. I can't let you be a part of this company, and I can't let you be a part of Edward's life, especially if that life involves me. So, you're about to be written out of the story. It's up to you how your make your exit, but you need to make it now."

It was like someone just pulled the rug out from under him, and even though it was a mostly fabricated story, it had the intended effect. He lost his temper and pulled a gun out of his jacket, pointing it right at my head. I instantly put my hands up in defense, making myself look as non threatening as possible.

_Please let it be a chest shot. Please let it be a chest shot. _

I was sure to put on the kevlar Emmett had given me this morning, and that would protect me if he hit me in the torso However, if he shot at my head, I definitely wouldn't fare as well.

"Wow, Carlisle Cullen doing his own dirty work for once. I'm impressed," I instigated.

His eyes just glared right through me. They were piercing, and I instantly understood why Edward was so powerless against him. Eyes of the devil, these were, and as they held me in their embrace, I felt the cockiness fade from my demeanor. Tanya should have been here by now.

This was the cue. He was pointing a gun at me, I was in danger. She was supposed to come bursting through those doors any second. But she didn't. This was going all wrong now, and I started to get nervous. We'd spent two months planning this to a tee - And now I was beginning to think Edward was being serious this morning when he'd come to my office. Maybe - maybe the plan really did change.

Well, fuck. _What now?_

"Call them off," he demanded, his hand shaking. I could see the sweat bubbling on his forehead, the panic in his eyes. I may or may not have believed him about my parents, but he sure as hell believed me about the cops. I suspected he'd spent the last two months paranoid as all hell and wondering when the walls would ultimately close in on him.

That moment had just arrived.

"I can't do that," I whispered.

"I'll shoot you!" he roared, shoving the gun right between my eyes.

Inside, I was terrified. This could be it. Right here. Right now. But even at the end, I couldn't lose control. So, I squared my jaw and rolled my eyes at him. "I just told you I can't. What do you want me to do? Tell the FBI I was just kidding? One big joke? Sorry?"

My eyes met his and I saw just how scared Carlisle was, practically on the verge of tears.

"You know," he sputtered, casually waving the gun around. "He was just supposed to watch you from afar, study you, find out if you could be easily removed. Usually I hire someone professional for that, but he was just so fucking . . . sad . . . about that little bitch. So I figured, 'Hey, what could go wrong? Give the boy something to do.' Then, he starts drawing you, and I think, maybe it's just a phase. But I knew the second that he gave up the CEO spot for you in Baltimore that it was more than that." Carlisle shook the gun at me, as if it was an extension of his hand and he was pointing accusingly, and that index finger hugged the trigger a little more firmly. "I never thought, not in a million years, that it would come to this. That _you, _the fucking joke of this whole industry, would be the one turning me in. Fucking blindside, I'll give you that."

_My, God. He's fucking losing it. _

"Welp," he continued, inhaling deeply with a somber laugh. "Isn't this just the perfect fucking ending to the perfect fairy tale? Is that the part where the bad guy has a sudden, sporadic change of heart and turns himself in? Huh? Is that how this is supposed to go? Or is this the part where I shoot you first, then shoot myself?"

"No," said a voice from the door. My heart sank deeper into the pit of my stomach.

_Oh shit. _What the fuck was _he _doing here?

Edward was supposed to be hiding. He was supposed to be miles and miles and miles from here by now. He'd had seven hours head start. The one thing he was definitely not supposed to be doing was marching in on my big fat bluff, pointing a pistol in Carlisle's face. "This is the part where I just shoot you."

There was no time to react. The gun raised from my head to Edward's chest, and - and -

_BAM! BAM!_

The shots were deafening and were over before I could even register what had happened. A spray of hot liquid hit my face, and I jumped from the splash. It was - Oh my god - it was Edward's blood. He fell backwards, a puddle of red forming at his chest. I felt my revolver in my hand, but I couldn't find the strength to do anything with it. I just stood there staring at my husband dying right in front of me.

And just then, there was a sharp, searing pain in my shoulder, followed by a loud, _BAM! BAM! _

The jolt from the impact threw me back ten feet.

I remembered laying on the floor in sheer agony, trying to crawl around my desk for Edward. I attempted to shout for him, to make sure he was okay, but my throat was dry and as much as I tried to force it out, my lips simply wouldn't form the words. Or maybe they did and I couldn't hear it; my ears were ringing from the shots. Every movement was a struggle, the burning in my shoulder practically paralyzing. Before I knew it, that pain was being amplified tenfold and someone was kicking me onto my back.

I screamed and rolled over, squinting through the torture to see who was doing this. Carlisle loomed over me, the heel of his loafers digging into my wound. He glared down at me over the barrel his gun, index finger gripping the trigger tightly. I knew right then and there, my life was over.

_I was going to die._

It's a little funny how time seems to slow down when you reach your final seconds. A thousand thoughts raced through my mind all at once. I wished I'd had kids. I wished I'd seen my father and mother one last time. I should have told Alice how happy I was for her and Jasper, told Jake how much I loved him and how much he'd meant to me all my life. I wish I'd named Rosalie my successor as CEO. And Edward - oh Edward. I wish I could have told him I loved him one more time.

Coulda'. Shoulda'. Woulda'.

Tanya's voice passed through my mind.

"_It all ends the same."_

Staring down the barrel of a Colt .45.

"Good bye, Miss Swan."

And this was when I blacked out.

I woke up in the hospital four days later, a loud beeping noise annoying the crap out of me. I was a little groggy at first, had no idea what the hell was going on, or why Jake and Alice were curled up on the couch in my - hospital room?

The panic set in. What the hell happened? Did Carlisle shoot me in the head?

_Oh God._

Where was Edward? What the hell happened to him?

I opened my mouth to talk, but found a tube in my throat instead. That annoying beeping just got faster and faster and -

_Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!_

Alice opened her eyes just as three nurses raced into my room. People were telling me to breathe, to calm down so they could get the tube out, telling me everything and anything _except_ where _my husband _was.

As soon as the plastic breathing tube came out of my throat, I coughed and gagged for a few minutes and then sucked back some water, but that didn't help. My throat was painfully raw.

Alice was crying, and Jake was so damn happy I was okay, he was sobbing too.

"What happened?" I croaked, surprised by how dry and cackled my voice was. _Was that really what I sounded like? _"Where's Edward?"

"Ms. Swan, we need to you to stop talking and follow these lights?" the nurse babbled in my face, shining a small flashlight right into my eyes. I did as she asked and after a few more routine tests, they left to fetch the doctor.

"Alice," I moaned. "Where's Edward? What happened? Did it work?"

"Shh!" Alice hissed. "We'll talk about that later."

"No, we'll talk about that now," I tried to demand. But one look at Jake was all I needed. The expression on his face said it all. No one needed to elaborate.

Edward had been killed - on account of me.

A jolt of the worst kind of misery shot through my very soul and something shattered inside of me. It wasn't from my shoulder and it wasn't from the fact that I'd been in a coma for four days, it was the feeling of my heart breaking into a million and one pieces.

_Oh. Oh, no. No. no. no. _

"And Carlisle?" I wheezed, choking back the tears.

"He was in the hospital for a night or two, now he's being held downtown," Jake explained. "Your buddy Eleazar came through. He said you two were even, whatever that means. Are you okay?"

Although everything inside seemed to be fine and healing well, the doctor who came later confirmed that, I was definitely far from okay. I'd watched my husband die right in front of my eyes, and I was powerless to stop it.

Jake and Alice eventually left when it became apparent that I'd retreated deep inside of myself, and probably would not resurface.

Days came and went, the same with visitors. Even Rose and my mother came to make sure I was recuperating well. It was good to see them again, but the reunion was bittersweet. I seemed lost in my own head, unable to accept that he was really gone. My whole world had crashed down around me, and I was left alone in its ruins.

One day, I woke up to William Dean's hand wrapped tightly around mine. I opened my eyes only to see massive tears forming at the corners of his.

"Will?" I whispered, my voice slowly but surely returning to me.

"Bella," he murmured back. "How are you feeling?"

I shrugged because when I wasn't all doped up on pain killers, the massive hole in my chest where my heart used to be hurt so bad, it made my shoulder feel like a scratch. "How about you?"

One side of his mouth pulled into a small smile. "I'm hanging in there."

"How long have you been here?"

"Since last night," he answered, leaning forward to rest his other elbow on my bed. "I was in England. I flew back as soon as I heard. I felt I owed you my condolences."

"I'm really not in the mood for someone else telling me how sorry they are for my loss. No one -" I was about to say no one else could understand. But he could, couldn't he? Hell, we were now sinking in the same boat.

"I brought you Sunflowers. They were Irina's favorite. I didn't know about you, but I figured they're pretty, right? So -"

"They're beautiful, thank you."

"Bella, I know what you're going through. You can talk to me -"

"At least we got him," I interrupted. We were _so _not going down that 'Let's-open-up-and-share-our-feelings" road right now.

"At least we got him," Will repeated, giving my hand a little squeeze. He wiped a tear away from his ice-gray eye and laughed. "I've been here for over twelve hours and you chose the moment I finally decide to break down and cry to wake up."

That made me smile at least. "Sorry, timing's never really been my thing."

His eyes met mine for a second before he nodded and brought my hand to his lips. After a quick kiss, he said, "Thank you. Thank you for doing what you did. I can never repay you."

"It wasn't supposed to go like that. He was supposed to be in Washington State with my father."

"Carlisle would have killed him eventually anyway, in one aspect or another. Or Edward would have been brought into custody. What you did was very ballsy. I wish you could have told me you were doing it ahead of time, I would have found a way to help."

"Eleazar knows you were married to Irina, which means it'll be public anytime now. The world will look to you for a reaction. Use it to your advantage, do you understand? That's your part of the plan. You carry on like you had no idea."

He nodded and forced a smile. "You had to tell him?"

"I'm sorry I blew your cover, but it had to happen. If the US can't convict him, he'll be extradited to Spain. Or maybe the two countries will strike a deal and he'll be prosecuted here. It's all up in the air. But you need to remain strong. You need to keep things going and make sure Dyco Tech keeps its shit together. Use the media to do that."

"Bella, you didn't have to do this. I told you I would take care of it."

"You may have been the catalyst, but I didn't do it for you."

I couldn't bear to say his name, but Will seemed to know how I was talking about all the same. "What will you do after you've healed? Will you return to work?"

"I don't know. Probably not. I don't think I could do it anymore if I tried. I'll probably just disappear, fade into the darkness, go away for a while. Far, far away."

"Fair enough. If you need anything, anything at all, you call me, right?"

I nodded and looked up at the television. Two news anchors were talking about me, mentioning my recovery, wondering why the police hadn't been by to question me. Of course, they had, and I'd told them as much as I could remember. You know how it is with people who've experienced trauma, sometimes their brain blocks little bits out.

Truth was, I remembered everything. In horrifying detail. Eventually, the police left me alone, and hadn't been back.

CNN aired a clip of the video from the night. It was Carlisle firing two shots at Edward, and then turning the gun on me. I winced and turned it off. I had no desire to relive that memory, once was quite enough.

"Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?"

"Of course."

It wasn't long until the nurses come to switch out my pain meds and I was out within ten minutes. Will left sometime after that because he wasn't there when I woke.

The night before they were going to let me out, Tanya finally came to see me. It was late, at least two or three thirty in the morning. She crept into the room and promptly locked it behind her. I was supposed to be sleeping, but there hadn't been much of that recently. The nightmares were worst then the memories.

I couldn't help but notice her outfit. A long brown trench coat, heels and dark aviator glasses. I looked up at her and almost burst into tears on the spot. She was the first of Edward's family to come visit me.

"Where the fuck were you? You were supposed to be there!" I snapped. "You were supposed to -"

"Shh," she hissed. "Let's not do this now." She took two steps towards the bed and tucked her hands into her pockets. "How are you doing?"

"How am I doing? My husband is dead."

"Yes, he is," she said calmly. "Sorry about that. But at least Carlisle's in custody. And you're all over the news - again. Only this time, it's because you got shot, not because of who you let between your legs."

"Tanya! Where were you?"

"I was there - I was just a little late, that's all. I knocked him out before he shot you again, didn't I?"

"I don't know because I was passed out, bleeding to death on the floor." My tone was more than harsh.

"Listen," she started and sat by my feet. "Carlisle's going to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, all maximum sentences, for all crimes. They can't do anything about Irina, yet, but he did kill Edward and shoot you, not to mention all of the other shit he's been up to. All of his possessions, current position and title included, are being transferred to yours truly. You did it. That's all that matters."

I nodded. "All at the expense of my husband."

"Can you stop focusing on that for a second? I'm trying to tell you the plan here."

I shot a glare at her and sat back in my bed, crossing my arms over my chest indignantly. "Well, what is it then?"

"When are you getting out of this hovel?"

"Tomorrow."

A small smile pulled at her lips. "You take a few weeks and then announce your resignation. There's a job waiting for you at Dean Industries, if you'd like. William insisted I mention that tid bit. I heard he stopped by a few days ago." She raised an eyebrow.

I completely ignored her jab at Will. "That's the plan? I'm supposed to go back to work at DI? Well, that's bullshit. No, bad plan. That's not what I'm doing."

"Then, what _are_ you going to do?"

"I don't know - hide, probably."

Then, her smile grew even wider. "Good. I have a present for you."

My eyes furrowed as she stood and pulled a pretty red shoe from her coat pocket and placed it on my stomach. It was my missing heel, the one I'd left at Edward's months ago. It had a set of keys attached to the strap and pink slip of paper shoved down in the toe.

"What's this?" I asked, my voice strangely shaky.

"Keys to the _Mississippi Queen, _and the title. Edward left it to you in his will, along with his entire estate and everything he owns. You'll never have to work another day in your life. Lucky you.'

'After this whole thing blows over, you'll go to the marina and take your boat down the East coast. You'll sail to St. Lucia, to a little town called Gros Inlet. There you will seek the old king known as Pygmalion. That's the plan. Do you understand?"

I snorted a laugh, despite the pain that caused in my shoulder. "What are you talking about?"

Tanya just glared at me.

"Tanya, are you high?"

"No, I'm not high," she growled. "Bella, just do what I say, alright? I'm not gonna repeat it."

"Okay," I sighed. "How long after this whole thing blows over? Like after the trial?"

"No, not after the trial, like as soon as you're healthy enough for the trip. You won't testify, I've seen to that. There's really no need for it in my opinion; the whole thing was video taped, and we don't need the defense prying into how we obtained that highly suspicious computer evidence. End of story. The police will tell you so tomorrow. '

'You will, on the other hand, have to come clean out Edward's loft. It wouldn't look right if you didn't, especially since everyone knows you two were secretly married. The world mourns his loss," she sarcastically explained. I was honestly shocked by her nonchalance. I tried to open my mouth to say something about it, but nothing came out. So, I just licked my lips and nodded instead.

"I'm glad you're doing well." Then, she stood and walked back to the door. "I'm gonna' get out of here. Remember. Gros Inlet. Saint Lucia."

"Tanya, you haven't said when the funeral is. I want to be there. You've got to help me right a speech about him - a public eulogy or something."

"Funeral?" She narrowed her eyes at my IV drip. "How much morphine do they have you on?"

"Not enough."

"Listen to me, Bella. King Pygmalion at Gros Inlet in St. Lucia. There is no funeral. Come by the apartment when you're feeling better." She turned and walked right out of the door, out of my life.

I was left sitting there trying to analyze her puzzle, when it hit me.

King Pygmalion?

_Oh.. oh.. I see. _

Something softened in my chest, and for the first time in a month, I felt like I could finally breathe.

**_A/N: You have to keep reading. The Epilogue brings everything together. I promise. _**


	30. Six Weeks Later

Six Weeks Later -

"_And so it is with dignity and respect, that I step down from my post as CEO of Dyco Technologies. In light of recent events, I've decided to take some time off and focus on what's important in my life. I thank you all for your support during these trying times. _

_I am fully convinced that there are no two women better suited for this position than Rosalie Hale, along side Tanya Denali. They are my best hope for continuing the merger, and keeping the initial vision, created by Edward Cullen and myself, in tact. Together, I look forward to a brighter, more technologically advanced future. Thank you for your time."_

As I watched myself on the satellite TV from the deck of the _Mississippi Queen_, I smirked at the choice to wear the arm sling even though my shoulder had already healed. It was Rosalie's idea, thought it would draw sympathy from the press. And it did.

But it wasn't long until the cameras turned their attention back to William Dean, afnd started following Rose, who had quite the scandal going on with Emmett, the son of notorious murderer, Carlisle Cullen. His brother's 'death' had brought them closer together, or at least that was the story the media was running with.

Carlisle's trial was set to start in three weeks. Like Tanya had said, I wasn't needed. The video evidence was enough to put him away for the rest of his life.

"Bells, you want a beer?" Jake yelled from the cabin.

"Sure!" I shouted back. I stretched behind me and relished in the basking glow of the sun. It felt warm against my skin, stinging and beautiful.

We were just off the coast of Florida, and we'd arrive in St. Lucia in a few hours. Jake pushed himself between the boxes of all my crap and trotted up to the chair next to me, handing over the Heineiken in the process.

"You excited to see him?" Jake asked, taking a deep breath.

"Of course." I smiled. "But Jake, listen. You can't tell anyone about this, okay? Alice maybe. But no one else. You gotta' swear it to me again."

Jake glared at me. "I'm going to pretend you said 'Thanks for driving me all the way down here, Jake. I don't know how to operate a boat and you really bailed me out here.' Yeah, that's much better."

I laughed and touched the scar on my shoulder. "That works too."

"_Isabella Swan's resignation was to be expected, Randall. I mean, c'mon, she was shot. In her own office. Her husband died right in front of her. I'd set sail for paradise too."_

"Don't listen to this shit anymore, feel me?" Jake sighed, grabbing for the remote to turn the damned thing off

"Completely."

When we pfulled up to the marina in St. Lucia, I was immediately stunned by the beauty of this place. Absolute paradise. The water was crystal clear and the sky a brilliant blue. The beaches were a perfect shade of alabaster, and I knew then and there, I'd never want to leave. Even if Tanya was sending me on a wild goose chase, this seemed like the perfect place to start over.

"I'm looking for King Pygmalion?" I said to the port attendant. I expected her to stare at me blankly and shrug.

Instead, she smiled and handed me a map. "The King Pygmalion statue is about ten miles down this street right here. Make a right on Port Jones, and it's in the middle of the circle." She highlighted the road and circled the location.

"Okay, thanks." Jake and I grabbed a cab and headed that direction.

But, when I got there, I realized it was just a plain ole' statue of this guy in robes carving another statue of a girl. It was in the center of a traffic circle surrounded by old brick buildings, housing coffee shops, restaurants, art studios, and the like.

Art studios.

Oh shit. _Oh shit._

I looked around, glancing at each shop suspiciously. Where was it? Where was it?

I passed a window with a light blue canopy over top that read "Galatea Portraits," and sure enough, there was the drawing from our wedding night right out front. Me, wearing nothing at all, lounging in the honeymoon suite bedroom wrapped in all those sheets with the Las Vegas skyline behind me.

"God Damn," Jake snorted. "He's amazing."

"Bella?" came a voice from the shop door.

My heart literally skipped a beat. It was him.

Oh my god. It was him - really, really him.

It took me two seconds to realize this was actually happening, and another heartbeat before I had my arms wrapped around his neck.

"I thought you were dead," I murmured.

He chuckled and pressed his lips to the side of my head. "Sorry for the shock. It was a necessary job hazard."

I didn't say anything in response, just kissed him and held him close, damned determined to never let him go.

Hours later, basking in the glory of post-sex euphoria, I realized I actually _was _never going anywhere ever again, that this was what I'd dreamed of all those months ago, that this was my heaven. The reporters had it right. I did run away to paradise, and I was never going back.

"Hey, there," Edward murmured, lifting his head from the makeshift bed we'd built on the deck of the _Mississippi Queen. _"What're you thinking about?"

"Nothing," I immediately answered. "Everything."

He smiled and licked his lips, looking out to the water next to us. My eyes followed the line of his profile, the curve of his forehead, the swell of his mouth, and all the way down his lean body to the way his dick lay flopped to the side, glistening from our last romp.

"Alright," I murmured. "It's time you come clean. How did you do it?"

"Do what?"

I raised an eyebrow. "You know what."

He smirked and rolled over to his stomach, balancing his weight on his elbows. "You said I had three options - Die, Go to Jail or Run. I chose the first option."

"And you couldn't tell me - why?"

"It had to seem real. You had to be heartbroken. I'm sorry, I know I broke my vows - or whatever. But that was the only way to bring down Carlisle without implicating me. I figured, if he killed me, what then? It's all on him." He leaned down and pressed his lips to my shoulder, softly kissing the tender scar where two bullets had entered and exited my body cleanly. "I am sorry you got hurt in the process. I was expecting him to freak out after he shot me, not turn around and shoot you too."

"Yeah, but _how _did you do it?"

"It's quite astounding what you can do with a security clearance and two months of free time."

I shook my head and sighed. "So you can never go back to America?"

"Not anytime soon, but it's because I don't want to be recognized. Not because my paperwork is illegitimate or anything," he replied, a small undercurrent of sarcasm in his tone.

"Uh huh," I teased. "And Edward Cullen?"

"Oh, that guy? That's just somebody we used to know a long, long time ago. I thought that bloke died, didn't you read the papers?"

"I saw him shoot you. I saw the blood explode from your chest, felt it on my face."

He leaned in a little closer to me, those green eyes sparkling in the moonlight's reflection off the water. "Did you, really? Think, Bella."

"I - I don't know. I thought there was. I was covered in it."

"Let's say I know a guy who knows a guy who makes gunshots look real for a living. How did he do?"

"Didn't the ambulance pick you up or something? What happened when the cops got there? How were you pronounced dead? I just - I've spent a month and a half trying to figure it out. It doesn't make any sense."

"Then, stop trying to figure it out." He smirked and rolled on top of me, forcing his legs in between mine. Pressing his face closer, he brushed a hair out of my eyes and smiled. "I've got more important things for you to be thinking about."

"Oh yeah?" I snorted. "Like what?"

"Like - do you want to tie me up this time, or vice verse?"

I giggled and pushed to my right, rolling us over so he was underneath me. I grabbed his wrists and pushed them above his head, pinning them there with one hand. With the other, I grabbed his dick and positioned it perfectly between my legs. A slickness still lingering from the last session, I decided I wanted to take him again right here and now. But this time would be on my terms, terms that had been on the top of my 'to-be-avenged' list for months.

"Since you broke your vows and your promise and everything, I figure _you_ owe _me_," I started.

"Uh oh," he purred, kissing the end of my nose. "And just what should my punishment be?"

Slowly sliding down on him inch by inch, I smiled and brought my lips centimeters from his. "For the next twenty four hours, your orgasms belong to me. You do not come until I let you."

He laughed and kissed me, moaning the slightest bit from the friction of my skin on his. I rocked against him, rotating my hips just the way he liked. He shivered and moaned again, to which I shook my head and sighed.

"Remember, Mr. Masen, those tight little squeezes, those distinctive moans, those fingers in my hair, they belong to me," I murmured.

He chuckled, and pushed against me, hands still pinned above his head. "And what will you do if I disobey?"

I shook my head jokingly. "Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. I wouldn't do that if I were you."

At that, he rolled us back over so I was under him, thrusting ever so delicately in and out, in and out. I was panting, drawing my fingers down his back with a frenzy.

Before I knew it, I had reached my climax and could tell Edward was almost there himself. But, like a good boy, he waited until I gave him the go ahead before having his release.

We fell asleep under the stars, wrapped completely in each other, and as I drifted into unconsciousness, I felt a sense of peace wash over me. Everything was as it should be. Finally.

**_A/N: Thank you all so much for reading my little story here. I hope you enjoyed it. And let me just say something about the ending. Right around Chapter 19 - 20, I pretty much had to decide how this was going to end, and believe me, I've tried to think of several other scenarios where Edward Cullen _doesn't _die. But ultimately, it all came back to this. This was how it _had _to happen. In order to redeem Edward's character, and logically clear his name, he had to go. But I couldn't _really _do that to you, could I? _**

**_I am planning on posting an alternate ending on my blog in the near future. When I tried to conceptualize how things would end around Chapter 8, I sort of sat down and wrote a theoretical ending. It goes nothing like what I've written, but should you like to see it, I'll have it up soon. _**

**_Now, for some personal thanks. To my betas: Rose, Pam, Leigh, and Jenny, thank you so much for your help with this story. Comma's are my worst nightmare. Good thing I have you lovely ladies backing me up. The story probably wouldn't be what it was without you. To all my readers, new or one-shoters, thanks for your patience and support. It's been a roller coaster, but I hope a good one. _**

**_Be sure to check out my blog (link on my profile) for all my updates. I'm working on some original fiction at this point, so if you're interested in reading that, I'll be posting some of it on there. I will be continuing to update La Vita Nuova as I write it. I believe there are 8 Chapters posted and 14 written so far, so be sure to check that out. I do hope you enjoyed it, and take care. Please let me know what you think in the reviews. Cheers!_**


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